Journey of the Pirate Kings
by THKNNofNUL
Summary: What would happen if Vyse, King of Blue Rouges, Teamed up with Luffy, The One to be King of the Pirates? Adventures of Epic Proportions, of course! Read on how the two great Captains sail the seas and the Skies as the search for One Piece!
1. Chapter 1

(Sec 1) * * * * *

It has been a full year since Vyse and his Crew of Blue Rouges have defeated Galician and Ramirez and saved the Skies of Arcadia from being destroyed. Since that day a lot has changed. Vyse and Aika have become an official couple and got married. Fina and Cupil were getting used to the pirate lifestyle and getting used to taking risks. Enrique, along with the help of some of Vyse's Crew, his new wife, Moegi, and the entire Yufotaman Country, they rebuilt Valua to its former glory, and even surpassed it. Vyse and his Crew helped the Nasr Capital and restored the country back to its former glory as well. Almost all was peaceful, except for the often Pirate attacks from Blackbeard, Vigoro, and other aspiring Pirates.

Unfortunately, Vyse still wanted to adventure. But he had done it all. He had sailed beyond the Cloud Ceiling, Below the Cloud Floor, even deeper into the Black Vortex, sailed through the Dark Rift, discovered everything there was to be discovered, had gotten the most valuable of treasures, Traveled to every corner of the world, Defeated even the fiercest of Beasts, and, of course, saved the world. But there seemed to be something out there he was missing...

(Sec 2) * * * * *

Crescent Isle was having a huge party with all of there former crew mates, friends, and allies. It was one week ago that day that Valua and Nasarad and been rebuilt, and a year ago that the five countries had signed a peace treaty. It was, indeed, a day to celebrate. But not all were celebrating.

Aika walked out of the meeting room of Crescent Isle, where most of the party was taking place. She looked over to see Vyse sitting on the balcony railing, looking at the Red Moon in the sky.

"Hey Vyse!" she said cheerfully.

"Hey Aika." looking glum.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm so bored. We've done it all, but I still want to see what the world has to offer. How long has it been since we've had a great adventure like the ones we had over a year ago?"

They stood in silence for a while, thinking about what to do. Fina and Cupil came a short while later.

"You guys are missing the party..." she trailed off after seeing Vyse looking sad. "What's the matter?"

"We're just trying to think of something to do for an adventure," Aika said, "but we haven't thought of anything."

"Any suggestions, Fina?" Vyse asked.

"Well...what about the Black Moon?"

"You mean that Black Moon Rocks we found in the Dark Rift a long while back?" Aika Questioned.

Vyse broke into a smile, "I'd forgotten about that. Fina, you know anything about the Civilization under the Black Moon?"

"One of the few things I know about it was the Black Moon was destroyed long ago, almost two centuries before the first Rains of Destruction"

"So I'm guessing they never made a Moon Crystal then like the other Six Nations" Aika asked.

"Actually, I don't know anymore then that. But the Black Moon Stones in the Dark Rift may have some sort of History we could use to find a Lost Civilization."

"Ooh, Sounds like fun," Gilder said, making his presence known.

"Gilder? What are you doing here?" Vyse asked with a smile.

"I was invited by Enrique himself. I guess you guys were so busy talking you didn't here the elevator running" Gilder said with a smirk. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Is this a new adventure you're planning?"

"Maybe," Vyse said with a smile.

"As I was saying," Fina started again, "The only other thing I would know from the Black Moon is the Civilization under it was known as Apoco."

"Well," Vyse stated, "looks like we're going to go searching for the Nation of the Black Moon"

"Can I come too?" Gilder asked, "Clara has been getting awfully close to capturing me."

"And now I have you!" Clara said, grabbing Gilder's arm in what might as well have been a death grip.

"GAH! You're crushing my arm, Clara!" Gilder yelled, "How come you're here?"

"Well, silly, I was invited by Enrique, too," she said with a smile. "OH! I hear a song going on inside, lets dance!"

Before Gilder could even object he was yanked through the door, leaving Vyse, Aika, and Fina alone.

"I think it's timed we joined the party" Vyse said after taking in what just happened. "We can start making plans for our next Voyage tomorrow."

Vyse got off the railing and walked over to Aika, and held her hand, "May I have this Dance?"

"Oh, Vyse, of course you can," and they danced right back into the party with Fina following.

As the Party came to a close, Vyse was able to catch up with Emperor Enrique and Empress Moegi.

"Hey you two!" Vyse said, now in a much happier mood.

"Well hello, Vyse" Enrique said with a greeting bow, "how have things been?"

"Oh yes," Moegi said, "you must tell us of your grand adventures"

"Thing's have been a little slow in the Adventuring Department" Vyse said, "but I plan on going back through the Dark Rift for some more exploring."

"Sounds dangerous, since you no longer have the Delphinus to navigate with," Enrique stated.

"I was hoping I'd be able to borrow it again."

"I see no Problem with that. The Delphinus is a warship, and we are in the best of peace times."

"Can I take that as a 'yes'?"

"You most certainly may." Enrique said with a smile.

Hans had heard a part of this conversation. "Hey, Vyse," he started to question, "do you have any engineers to take care of that ship?"

Brabham's ears perked up at what his apprentice had asked.

"Actually, I don't" Vyse answered, seeing where this was heading.

"Hot Diggety Dog!" Brabham exclaimed, "It's been so long since I've worked on a ship like that! Vyse, you think we can come aboard!?"

"I don't see why not, but don't you to have a lot of work to do back at Valua?"

"Not really," Hans explained, "the engines of each ship are in top condition and have been for a while."

"Alright," Vyse said, "but you should know that we're going into the Dark Rift"

"That again?" Don cut in, "You're going to need a helmsman that knows the rift"

"Hmm," Vyse said, also knowing where this was going, "You have a good point. Know anybody?" he said with a smile.

"Well I could come," Don said, taking another swig of rum.

"Don't you have to take care of the Esperanza Armada?"

"Not really. The men are able to take care of themselves, and we are in peace times, my boy. I think the E.A. Will be fine." Don said with a big grin.

"I'd like to come with you, too" Ryu-kan jumped in, "I heard you earlier about finding a lost civilization. If you find it, and knowing you're luck, you will, there's bound to be some interesting weapons to be found. Maybe some material I can find that I could use to make an even better set of swords to beat that 'almighty' Sky Fang you've been wielding."

"Then I guess you have to come, too" Vyse said, being in the best mood he's been in since his wedding day. "Tomorrow, we start making Preparations!"

Vyse's Crew Yelled and filled the island with a 'Huzzah!'.

After cleaning the island from the mess the party left, not a soul could sleep, because of the new exciting adventures that awaited them.

On a small ship, High above the Cloud Ceiling that was above Crescent Isle was a small ship. On this ship was a man, standing cross armed, looking at the Island below. "Well, brother, looks like after being dead for 50 years you're going to start your journey to find our 3rd brother. I shall await you at the Dark Rift"

With the wave of his hand, the ship turned and headed South.

(Sec 3) * * * * *

The next day, Enrique and Moegi came with the Delphinus, Landing in the Hidden Dock area, where Vyse's new ship was moved from, and both looked ready to go with Vyse on his next adventure.

"You're coming, too!?", Vyse said with surprised laughter, "but you have a country to run."

"We shouldn't be gone that long, Vyse", Enrique explained, "If there is a Lost Civilization out in the Dark Rift, who knows what technologies they had to help their people?".

"AND WE'RE COMING, TOO!", said another Familiar voice from the skies. It was Diago, Moegi's Brother and Ruler of Yufotama, Accompanied by his Twin Body Guards, Mao and Jao; King Ixa'Taka, Ruler of the Ixa'Taka Continent, accompanied by his High Priest, Isapa; and the New Nasultain, Rupee, accompanied by his Body Guard, Barta.

"Well, it's all nice to see you again", Vyse started, "...but...Who's running your countries!?"

"We've all left somebody we believe able to rule our respective kingdoms in charge while the rest of us take a look at what could be a Lost Civilization" Diago explanation, "besides, we can't let you alone with all the best adventures", cracking a smile.

And so, preparations continued. Barrels upon Barrels of Moonstones were loaded, food was properly stored, and emergency supplies were stocked.

"Hey, Rupee", Vyse started to ask, "how did you become the New Nasultain?"

"YOU DARE QUESTION MASTER RUPEE OF THE LARSO CLAN!?", Barta shouted.

"Calm Down, Barta, it was only a question." Rupee said, "You need to stop getting so defensive about these things."

"I am your Bodyguard, Being Defensive is my Job!", Barta said, trying to reason with his king.

"Well you don't need to be like that when we're with the Hero of all Arcadia." Rupee reasoned back. "Anyway, when the Kingdom was in ruin, I got Barta here to get the rest of the Larso Clan Pirates to help with rebuilding. Apparently they did such a nice job, the people wanted me as their new king."

"Well, Congratulations, Nasultain Rupee", Vyse said with a chuckle.

"Hey, Vyse!" Aika Said from the Bridge of the Delphinus, "We're ready to go when you are!"

"Alright, everybody! To the Dark Rift!" Vyse Commanded.

"Eye, Eye, Captain".

They Undocked, headed above the Cloud Ceiling, and headed South, by South, by Southwest, to the easiest spot of entering the Dark Rift. A new adventure was ahead, but nobody, not even Vyse, who has come to expect the unexpected, knew how big that adventure was going to be.

(Sec 4) * * * * *

After about a Half Days Travel, they arrived at the Entrance. The Dark Rift was just as strange as it was the last Time Vyse came through here. Don made his way to the Eye of the Storm, which is where th Black Moon Rocks were. When they got there, There was already a small ship waiting, with Black Moon Rocks circling around it.  
"WELCOME!" said the only man on the ship, "It has been so long, dear brother, since we've last seen each other!"

"Brother?" Vyse asked, "who's he talking about?"

"I Heard That," said the man again, "Vyse Dyne, I am talking about you."

"WHAT!?", everyone on the ship was staring at Vyse.

"I'm sorry, but you must be looking for a different Vyse Dyne." Vyse tried to explain, "I don't have a Brother."

"You aren't fooling anybody, Dyne D. Vyse"

"Dyne D. Vyse?" Vyse repeated, "Where are you getting the D. from?"

"It's the Family Name, or have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten anything, you're the one who's off his rocker."

"Is that so, brother?"

"I'm not your brother!"

"Well, if you don't remember me, you may remember THIS!" and with that, all the Moon Rocks in the area started swirling around toward the middle, and started connecting together, like a giant Puzzle.

"What are you doing!?" Vyse Yelled.

The Strange Man then said, "Have you forgotten the Power that your brother, Jones D. Davy, posses?"

As he said this, all the Moon Rocks had come together, making up Half of the Black Moon.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Vyse Yelled again.

"I am taking this world back to where it Belongs"

The Black Moon was then getting smaller.

"Battle Stations, Everyone!" Vyse commanded, "Enrique! You need to get Don and have him take the Large Life Boat to get you and the rest of the World Leader Home!"

"But Vyse," Enrique said, "You need us here to help you."

"Forget about Us! Your countries are more important then our lives. Whatever this guy is trying to do, We're going to stop him."

"Your Bravery will not go unnoticed" Diago said. "You Heard the Captain, men, lets get out of here. We have our Homes to warn of this".

As Don Steered the Life Boat back through the Dark Rift, They all took a look back. What they saw was the Black Moon disappearing, turning into a Swirling Vortex. The Delphinus was being pulled in.

"Captain!" Hans shouted, "The Engines can't take it, if we resist the force pulling us in any more, the engines will explode!"

"Alright, FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

"WHAT!?" Aika and Fina said.

"Vyse, are you crazy!?" Aika shouted.

"We don't know where he's taking us" Fina stated.

"Well then, I guess we're going to find out" Vyse said, steering the Delphinus toward the center of the Vortex.

The Vortex started growing bigger, swallowing everything in it's path. Soon, the Dark Rift was no more, but the Vortex had slowed it's growth, but it still got the Life Boat. All hope seemed lost.


	2. Chapter 2

(Sec 5) * * * * *

It was a Beautiful day on the Grand Line. Luffy was at his usual spot at the head of the ship, Zoro was sleeping quietly in the crows nest, Usopp was telling stories to Chopper while steering the ship. Robin was reading another book, Sanji was cooking lunch, Nami was checking to see if they were still on course for Mermaid Island, and Franky was checking his handy work on his new project with a strange device he'd never seen. It had been about two weeks since the events of Enis Lobby and the Glacier Bounty Hunters had taken place, and a few days earlier they had finished stocking up on Straw Hat Isle(One Piece: Unlimited Adventure)...

(Sec 6) * * * * *

"SANJI!" Luffy said with a moan, "I'm Hungry!"

"Well lunch is almost ready," Sanji Started, "but you're last in line this time! You ate everyone's breakfast in record time, and we are NOT letting you drain our food supply again"

"But I'm Hungry NOW!" Luffy complained, "it's not my fault all your portions are so small."

"Why I oughta...!" Sanji started again.

"Oh ~Sanji-kun~" Nami said.

"Nami-swan!"

"Stop fighting, I'm getting hungry, too"

"Lunch is ready!"

"ALRIGHT!" Luffy said, "ZORO!"

"uhg," Zoro said sleepily, "can't a guy get a little shut eye around here? Did he at least make something good this time?" Zoro had just landed on deck when he stopped Sanji's kick with his sword.

"You'll eat it and like it" Sanji said in an angry tone.

"and who's gonna make me?"

Franky had just come back from below deck. He saw what was happening and ran over, punching them both in the head.

"NO FIGHTING! I built this ship with all my heart and I don't want you running anything!"

Robin walked over to Usopp and Chopper

"...and then, out of nowhere, I was surrounded by 1,000 navy soldiers, nae, 10,000!"

"AHH! What did you do!?"

"Well, I took out my 10 ton Hammer, and with a mighty leap, Jumped into the Air, and took them all out with 3 swings"

"WOW! You're amazing, Usopp!"

"Yes, that was quite a tale, Long Nose," Robin said, making her presence known. "Why don't you guys go eat lunch, I'll take over the ship for a while."

"Thanks, Robin! Come on Chopper, before Luffy eats our meals again!"

The ship was in it's unusual paradise

(Sec 7) * * * * *

Later, they found a small deserted island, and decided to land for supplies. Nami had taken out a Map of the Grand Line with Log Pose Waiting Times.

"It says here this island takes three weeks for the Direction to change, so we can stay here for a while."

"If we're Lucky, we can catch a break from all the crazy stuff that's been going on lately," Franky said with a relieved breath, "You guys sure know how to adventure."

"Alright, Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy, go see what food you can find. Usopp and Franky, see what supplies you can find and use. The rest of us will stay with the ship."

"And how come you're giving orders?" Franky asked.

"again," Zoro stated.

"because I'm the only one out you guys that know what she's doing, Now Get To Work!"

and with that, the crew disappeared, while Robin laughed quietly to herself.

(Sec 8) * * * * *

It was hard to tell which way was which in the Black Vortex Vyse had driven into.

"Anything on the scanners?" Vyse asked Aika.

"Everything seems fine. The pressure is normal, Air is breathable, the only problem would be the compass is spinning out of control."

"Well, that's the Dark Rift for you. Fina, Is everyone alright?"

"Yes," Fina responded, just coming back from the Life Boat Docks, "The World Leaders are safe, just a little shaken. Urala is cooking up some soup to help calm them down."

"Everyone is Safe, that's all that matters."

Vyse looked out the window of the Delphinus. Was that an Island...on water?

"Hey...do you guys see that?"

As everyone on the bridge looked, it vanished.

"I don't see a damn thing, Captain," Brabham said.

Don took the wheel again, allowing Vyse to rest. It had been quite an eventful day. As he kept the ship steady, he saw an Island surrounded by water.

"Well, That's something you don't see everyday."

Vyse took over a little while later. He saw the Same island through the swirling vortex again. At that Moment, all systems began to fail. The Ship wouldn't turn, the engines stopped running, and all scanners blinked out.

Vyse tried all he could, but the helm wouldn't budge, and as he looked out the window again, there was another ship, which made him try even harder to move his own ship. With about 20 seconds to impact, Vyse did the only thing he could.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!"

Vyse Looked at the other ship again, seeing a few people on board.

"Pirates of Old," Vyse said in a prayer, "Defend our Cause!"


	3. Chapter 3

(Sec 9) * * * * *

Later that night, Luffy decided to just sit in a tree and look at the stars, while the rest of he crew were around a campfire nearby the tree below him. As he looked, he thought he saw something strange.

"Hey, Usopp!"

"Yeah?"

"Look strait to where I'm pointing!"

"Okay..." Usopp said while putting on his goggles

"Do you see anything?"

"Nope. Must be your mind playing tricks on you."

But Luffy kept on looking. What he saw was what looked like a Black whirlpool on its side, and what looked like a ship, but it disappeared. A little later, Luffy thought he saw it again, but ignored it.

Usopp was on first Lookout that night while the rest of the crew slept. Since it was such a nice night, he laid back and looked at the stars. Then, out of nowhere, there seemed to be a Dark Whirlpool...in the sky? Usopp put on his goggles again and took a close look. He saw a giant metal ship, with 6 large cannons on the front, and 8 swirling propellers in the back. The ship was heading right for them!

"WAKE UP!" Usopp yelled into a megaphone, "LEVEL 10 Alert!"

"What's going on?" Franky said, being the first on deck.

"There's a Giant Ship Heading Right For Us! We Gotta Move!"

Nami stepped out on Deck and looked at how fast the other ship was going.

"We don't have enough Time! LUFFY! Get Out Here!"

"Huh, what's wrong?" said a drowsy Luffy, "Navy Ships?"

"Maybe! But we gotta Move! Get out and get this ship in the Water!"

But it was too late.

(Sec 10) * * * * *

The Delphinus suddenly stopped, sending Vyse flying through the air, and crashing into a nearby tree. After a couple of minutes, he woke up and looked around. He wasn't too badly hurt, just a little sore, with a big headache.

(Sec 11) * * * * *

Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats, all on deck now from all the commotion, just stared in awe of the Ship just floating there, unaware of what just happened to the person who had just flew from the ship's bridge. Luffy ran over to the side of the ship where the ship was hovering and looked down, seeing a strange man in the shadows, suddenly disappearing.

"HEY! There was a guy down there," Luffy said as he jumped over the side, "GET BACK HERE!"

"LUFFY," Nami said, "where are you going?"

Luffy was hot on the trail of the strange man, when he just disappeared into thin air. Luffy then heard a moan.

"ahh, my head," said a boy, about Luffy's age, "Where am I?"

"You're on an island," Luffy said.

"I can see that. My name is Vyse, yours?"

"I am Monkey D. Luffy. Pleased to meet cha!"

"D.?" Vyse said quietly to himself, before remembering what just happened, "MY SHIP! Quick, did you see a Large Metal Ship!?"

"Huh? Oh Yeah! It nearly crashed into mine."

"Where is it!?"

"This way...or was it that way?"

"You don't know?" Vyse said with a disappointed look on his face.

"Well I was chasing some guy that was right in the middle of our ships, so I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"There you are," Usopp said while coming through some bushes, "Luffy, the crew is waiting for you to see what's on that floating ship...who's this guy?"

"The Name's Vyse, Yours?"

"I am the Great Captain Usopp! Fearless Leader of the Great and Feared Straw Hat Pirates!"

"I see. I am Vyse, King of the Blue Rouge Pirates, and Legendary Hero of the Skies of Arcadia."

"Arcadia? What's that?" Luffy asked.

"I'll explain later, I need to get back to my crew and see if everyone is alright. Which way to the ships?"

"Strait that way," Usopp said, pointing in the opposite direction he just came from.

"Thanks," and with that, Vyse disappeared.

"Hey, wait up!" Luffy said, running after Vyse.

"Don't leave me here alone!" Usopp said, running after both of them.

Vyse had gotten back to the ships, Jumped onto the Straw Hat Deck, and with another mighty jump, lept onto the the Deck of the Delphinus, where everyone was ready to go on an adventure.

"VYSE!" Aika said with a big welcoming smile on her face, "we were just about to go looking for you!"

"Well, I'm back now, but we got a crew to meet."

"What are you talking about?" Fina asked.

"There was another ship that we nearly crashed into. They call themselves the Straw Hat Pirates, and one of them is Monkey D. Luffy."

"D.?" Aika questioned, "You think he knows that Jones guy that got us here?"

"It's a possibility"

On the Golden Sunny...

"Luffy, who was that guy that just jumped on our ship?" Nami asked.

"He was the Captain of that ship there," Luffy said, pointing to the Delphinus.

"Anything else you know about him?"

"His name is Vyse, and he seems really cool."

"Well, _That's_ useful."

"Hey, Captain!" Vyse said from over the deck of the Delphinus. Luffy and Usopp looked up. "Is it alright if me and my crew came down?"

"Sure, but why ask?" Luffy said.

"I thought Usopp was the Captain."

"He says that, but I'm the Captain Here."

"Okay," Vyse said, a little confused, "anyway, we just didn't want you guys to think we were attacking and cause an unnecessary fight. Come On, Guys!"

and with that, Vyse, Aika, Fina, and the The World Leaders came down.

"The Rest of you, see if you can get the ship back into proper working order."

"Eye, Eye, Captain!" and the Blue Rouges got to work.

"So, How does your ship fly?" Franky asked Vyse.

"One thing at a time, big guy," Vyse said, "First are Introductions."

"Of Course! Where are my manners."

and the crews were introduced to each other.

"Alright...now can you tell me how your ship flies?" Franky asked with a big grin on his face.

"Sure, but how do you get around the skies with a ship that can't fly?"

"What?" Franky asked confused, "The skies? There's nothing but water to sail on down here."

"There was a place in the sky you could sail," said Nami, remembering her trip with the crew to Skipia, "and we only know of One Flying Ship made of gold."

"Well, this is going to take a while to explain," said Vyse, his mind running ragged to make sure he remembered all of his adventures.

"Oh, I can help clear things up," said Jones D. Davy, appearing out of nowhere.

"You!" Vyse said, taking out his Sky Fang Blades, ready to charge at the one who caused all this trouble.

"Yes, me," he said with a smile.

"Who are you, now?" Robin asked.

"The name be Jones D. Davy. Be a pleasure to meet you all," Davy looking over at Robin, "Such Beauty! It's been a long while since I've seen such a woman."

"Back off you creep!" Sanji said, jumping over to give the man a kick.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," and with that, Davy put his hand into the position Silver Fox Foxy put his hands before attacking, "Copy Copy, Noro Noro Beam!" and Sanji was suddenly slowed.

"Oh, You again!?" Luffy said, stretching his arms back for an attack.

"You Know this guy?" Aika said confused.

"Silver Fox Foxy," Chopper said, "He challenged us to a Davy Back Fight for some of our crew members. We didn't lose anybody, but he was really sore about losing his flag."

"Now I'm really confused," Fina stated, "and why are his arms stretching that far back?" Taking notice to Luffy.

"Gum Gum, BAZOOKA!" and Luffy started his attack, "Copy Copy, Chop Chop, FESTIVAL!"

and Davy split into pieces, dodging Luffy's attack.

"Bu-Bu-BUGGY THE CLOWN!?" Usopp screamed, "But isn't he Silver Fox Foxy?"

"Copy Copy, ICE AGE!"

"Not Again!" Zoro said, jumping into the air to avoid his feet from freezing to the ground.

"Copy Copy, GUM GUM, Hook Shot!"

"What?" as Zoro turned around to see Davy grabbing him and slamming him into the deck, where he was stuck to the ground.

"Now, if you're all done trying to hit me..."

"Strong RIGHT!" Franky said as he threw his right fist through the air.

"What is Wrong with this place!?" Vyse said, thoroughly confused and surprised at what was going on.

Davy dodged Franky's punch, and grabbed the chain the was connected to his arm and threw him overboard into the sand of the beach below.

"Anyone else?"

"Usopp, Super Firebird Star!" and with his shot, melted all the ice that held down his fellow crew members.

"Rumble! Quick Point!" Chopper Charged Davy, "Arm Point!"

"ENOUGH!" Davy yelled, "Shape Shift, Kuro Claws! Copy Copy, Cat Out of the Bag Attack" and with that, Davy disappeared, using the back of his bladed hands, knocked everyone to the ground, not cutting a single one of them.

"Now, you have had your fun, but I'm just here to explain things, if that is alright."

"It's more then alright," Robin said, crossing her arms the way usually does for attacks, "12 Fleur, HOLD!"

and Davy was Captured, 4 hands over his mouth, 2 on his legs, and 2 on each arm, to hold him down.

"We just don't want you attacking anyone anymore," after a minute she took off the 4 hands on his mouth.

"Heh Heh Heh Heh," Davy chuckled, "First time someone caught me. Congratulations, lass, you did a fine job. I promise I won't hurt anyone if you let me up now."

"Very well." Robin said, putting her arms down to let the man up.

"Now, Vyse, if you wouldn't mind putting your swords away."

"grr," Vyse said to himself, not wanting to let his guard down.

After everyone was comfortable sitting on the ship, Davy started his explanation.

"Alright, where should I start...? I Know! Lets start from when I was born!"

"Does that have ANYTHING to do with us being here now?" Vyse asked impatiently.

"Yes it does, now shut yur yap so as I can tell the story. Now, I should actually start with my Grandfather. He Founded where Louge Town is today."

"Louge Town?" Aika questioned.

"SHUT IT! It will all be cleared when I finish. Another word and you're gonna have to find everything out on your own. Now stop interrupting me!"

"Now, My Grandfather Founded the Land where Louge Town is today. My father was about 25 at the time, and my mother was pregnant with me and my two brothers. About 2 weeks after Louge Town was done with construction, me and my brothers were born. Now you all know me as Jones D. Davy. My Brothers were Roger D. Jolly, and Gol D. Roger."

Luffy Gasped, But Zoro shut him up before he could say anything.

"Now, the D. in our name stands for Daccat...You can let it out now."

"Gold Roger!?" Luffy, unable to keep in his excitement.

"Daccat!?" Vyse, almost unable to believe what he just heard.

"Alright, now let me finish the story. Our Grandfather was a Magic Man, Not Devil Fruit Powered. He was able to used the magic of the world's 8 moons to create a potion so that the three of us were practically Immortal. The only way we can die, is by the sword. This went as well for my Grandfather and my Parents, as they, too, drank this potion. Now as the three of us grew, my brothers had grown fond of pirates, and wanted to become the best pirate in the world. I was more focused on following my Grandfather's Footsteps. I had started Learning the different abilities of each moon. I learned Healing from the Green Moon, Fire from the Red, Wind and Water with the Blue, Ice with Purple, Lightning with Yellow, Life and Death with the Silver Moon, Chaos and Order from the Black Moon, and Peace and War with the White Moon."

"That sounds a lot like the six moons of Arcadia," Fina said, "Except for Black and White."

"Very good. You see, there was one who wanted to use all the power of this world, but that's getting a little far ahead of myself. Now, Jolly and Roger were strong guys, and got there pirate careers started early. They decided that, since they were practically immortal, they went under different names for a while, like Long John Silver, Boot Strap Bill and other Famous Pirates. The World Government was constantly trying to capture them, but with no luck, so they Hired some guy name Bane to take care of them by any means necessary. Well, plan after plan failed, so the guy finally snapped and went to the Great Black Shrine, where they had this weapon, not a gigas, but a powerful weapon."

"I'm seriously confused now," Vyse said.

"sigh...anyone else?"

"Yeah," said everyone else on deck.

"Oi, I though you'd get this. Your worlds were once ONE!"

"Oh..." said everyone still confused.

"How did we get separated then?" Luffy asked.

"Getting there. Now, this guy was going to blow up the Black Moon, and cause all sorts of trouble. Now my brothers may have been pirates, but they acted exactly as you guys do, which would be helping those in danger, Like your time at Alabata, or with you and saving Esperanza from the Armada. They weren't just going to stand back and watch, so they came to me, since I was the most Magic Savvy. The three of us arrived just a moment to late, and Bane had sliced the Black Moon in half, and using some Chaos Magic, created a Black Hole. Roger then started a sword battle against Bane, giving me and Jolly the distraction we needed to go up and stop the Black Hole. It was so massive, it sucked all the Island Skies through in an instant, and took the Green, Red, Blue, Purple, Yellow, and Silver Moons, as well as Half the Black Moon. The only way to close a Black Hole, is if it gets eaten by another one, in other words, canceling each other out. But the problem was, there were two sides of this monstrosity. Before I could object, Jolly said he would close off one side, since Chaos Magic was his specialty, while I closed the Other. After everything was closed up, I went back to help Roger, who let Bane get away. We both knew there was no way we could get Jolly back, so we continued as we normally did. All the technology of the sky was gone, just leaving what we had on the ground. That was almost 3,000 years ago."

"WHAT!?" said everybody on deck.

"I told you, I can only die by a sword in the chest, so that hasn't happened yet. It shouldn't be that big a surprise."

"That still doesn't explain how you ended up in Arcadia." Vyse stated.

"Well, I've been alive for over 3,000 years. Here in the Grand Line, I've come across a few Devil Fruit."

"What are those?" Aika asked.

"Oi. Give me a sec." Davy closed his eyes, and then his fingers stretched and reached into everyones head before they could react. A couple minutes later, he went back to his normal self. "THERE! I just made it so you all understand each other. People from Arcadia know all about this world, wile the Straw Hats know all about Arcadia. Happy!?"

"That does clear up a few things," Robin said.

"Now, Over my lifetime, I've come across 3 Devil Fruit. The Shape Shift Fruit, something like the Clone Clone, but not as restricted. The Copy Copy Fruit, allowing my to copy other abilities, as I've demonstrated earlier. And the Knowledge Knowledge Fruit, allowing me to know anything I want, which is quite difficult to control from time to time. With the Power of the Dark Dark Fruit, I was able to create a Black Hole that I could use to go back and forth between worlds. I tried to bring back Jolly, but he had changed his name, making it a little harder to find him. He decided to take on the name Daccat, liking that much more then Jolly. He also decided to stay in what the people now called Arcadia, to be the best Pirate of that world, while Roger became the best in ours. About 50 years ago, he died by the sword and was buried at what is known as the Pirate's Grave."

"That's the Grave of the great Daccat?" Vyse said, seeing as he was the one who found it.

"Yup. I buried him when I found his body, and got his treasure map back from the man who killed him. I tore his treasure map in half and threw the pieces into the wind, knowing where they would eventually end up. About 20 years ago, Roger said he had reached his peak, and wanted to do one last thing before he got himself killed. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but he wanted me to turn him in to the World Government and collect the reward on his head, and I wasn't one to refuse serious requests like this. Using the Invisibility Power, I stood behind Roger before he was executed. His Final words were 'My Treasure is yours for the taking, but you'll have to find it first. I left everything I know in One Piece.' and then they killed him. Of course, I couldn't hold in my laughter at what he just did. It's the funniest thing I ever saw, sending this world into a Grand Age of Pirates. And watching the towns people freak out didn't help much. So Anyway, the point is, their spirits are still around, waiting for their last wishes to be fulfilled"

"Wait a minute," Vyse said, "We already found Daccat's Treasure. It was a single gold coin."

"Yeah...about that, I took it all, gave it to Roger, and left that note," Davy said, beginning to laugh, "But the Looks on your faces were Priceless!" and Davey started Busting out in Laughter.

"Ha ha, very funny," Aika said, a little peeved she could've gotten more treasure.

"But, the OTHER reason I took all of Daccat's Treasure, was because I gave both him an Roger to put an inscription on the wall, so they can at least congratulate the people who found their Treasure. Daccat never listened to me, so he didn't have one at the final Resting Spot of his Treasure Collection. Roger on the other hand, did. So whoever finds Roger's Treasure, will get to meet both him and Daccat."

"So THAT'S why you brought us here," Vyse said, now less confused.

"Exactly. The very Essence of you and Luffy's Souls match that of Daccat and Roger, making you both the perfect people to find One Piece."

"That is so COOL!" Luffy said with excitement.

"Now then, it's convenient that you brought the Four World Leaders of Arcadia here, Vyse."

"And why is that convenient?" Enrique asked.

"Because, now we can get you to meet with the World Government and get you and your countries back on the King's Comity"

"The King's Comity?" Rupee asked.

"It's something the Kings of the world go to every now and then to try and solve a crisis, like how to deal with pirates and such. I hate the World Government, but this was one of their better ideas."

"So, will you be escorting us?" Domingo asked.

"Well, since you don't know where it's at, I have to."

"But what about our people?" said King Ixa'Taka.

"Your World is fine. Nobody knows of what has happened, since Time is Frozen until I bring them here."

"How does that work?" Fina asked.

"I'm a very powerful man. I don't want two worlds completely freaking out and causing a huge world war, so I'll give the World Government and the Leaders here a week to spread the word of the joining. Now, we'll take my ship. Vyse, it'd be best for you and your crew to stay here. The World Government doesn't like Pirates."

"I Understand"

So Davy got the Arcadian Leaders on his ship and sailed toward the World Government headquarters, leaving the two pirate crews to talk.

(Sec 12) * * * * *

"Alright," Vyse started, after a small silence, "He may have told us about each other worlds, but we don't know much about each other."

"Well, who should start?" Robin asked.

"Vyse is a guest here," Luffy started, "at least until that guy brings the rest of his world here. So he should go first."

"Really? Alright," Vyse took a deep breath, "It all started on my Home Island, Pirate Isle..."

A few hours later, after making sure he covered all of his adventures, the Straw Hats stood in awe of the accomplishments that Vyse and his crew had done.

"You certainly have lived full lives," stated Robin.

"Yes we have," Aika said with a smile, "and we hope to have more in the future."

"I guess it's your turn to tell us your adventures," Fina said, curious of how eventful the Straw Hat's Voyage has been.

"Well, 10 years ago, I was hanging out with the Red Haired Pirates and their Captain Shanks..."

A few hours later, after the crew explained their different adventures, it was the Blue Rouges turn to stand in awe, still taking in all of the strange stuff this world had to offer. The sunrise had started, bathing the two crews in light.

"This world is AWESOME!" Vyse said, already looking forward to adventure.

"Yours sounds Fun, too" Luffy said with his usual goofy grin.

"Captain!" said Hans from the Delphinus Deck, "Everything is back in Order. We're ready to Fly."

"Good work! Go ahead and land the ship, we're going to stay here a while."

"Eye, Eye!"

"I'm going to get breakfast started, how many in your crew?" Sanji Asked.

"Well, there's fourteen of us now, since Davey took the World Leaders and their men."

"Cooking for twenty-two, eh? I'll get started."

"Not so fast. Our cook LOVES looking at dishes from other lands and preparing them. URALA! Can you come down?"

"eye, eye," Urala said quietly, taking a rope ladder down, "What would you like me to do captain?"

"Would you like to cook breakfast with our new friend's cook?"

"Oh, that would be great!" she said with a little smile on her face.

"The kitchen is right this way, my sweet," Sanji said with a heart in his eye.

"So," Aika started, "Would you like to give us a tour of your lovely ship?"

"You bet! That'd be SUPER!" Franky said, going into his usual stance.

(Sec 13) * * * * *

Over the Horizon, on the North side of the island, a ship started approaching. Standing at the front was a Man with a Big Red Nose, wearing an Orange Captain's Coat. He looked through his eyeglass, looking toward the island's west side and said, "I've Finally found you, Monkey D. Luffy. This time, I'm really gonna make a Monkey out of you," apparently not noticing the Delphinus, "MEN! Start up a Party, we're going to strike the Straw Hats at Midnight!"

"Hooray for our Great Captain Buggy!" said the Buggy Pirate Crew.

(Sec 14) * * * * *

On the opposite Horizon, A man wearing Black Cat Ears was looking from the crows nest of his ship, looking at the distant island. When he looked at the island's west side, we saw the Straw Hat's ship, as well as a strange Metal Ship. Surprised at what he found, he climbed down the Mast yelling, "Captain! CAPTAIN!" Barging into the Captain's Quarters, with the captain looking out the window. "Captain Kuro, sir! The island we're heading towards is where the Straw Hat Pirates are at. There is also a Large Metal ship I've never seen before. What is your plan?"

Captain Kuro looked over to his crew member. "Get to the Opposite side of the Island from where they are, and keep out of site. The people on that Metal ship are of no threat. It's probably the Navy. The Straw Hats will deal with them. I will exact my Revenge of those cursed Straw Hat's at Midnight, where they should still be weak from their battle."


	4. Chapter 4

(Sec 15) * * * * *

"...and that Concludes the Tour of the Thousand Golden Sunny," Franky said, ending the ship tour.

"This is a very nice ship," Vyse complimented, "Think you can build my one?"

"Don't you like the one you have?"

"The Delphinus? It's not mine, it belongs to Enrique, we were just borrowing it for this occasion."

"Do we at least get a tour of you ship?" Luffy asked.

"Of course."

"Breakfast is served!" Sanji announced, making his way on deck with three plate in each arm, one balanced on his head, and one in each hand.

"Blue Rouge!" Vyse announced, "MEAL TIME!"

"EYE, EYE!" said the Rouges, as they made their way down, Vyse was able to make quick introductions for each member.

"We used to have more members, but they had their own dreams to follow and dparted from us," Fina explained.

Nami and Aika were standing to one side of the ship, not being to hungry at the moment.

"So what's your job on the ship?" Nami asked.

"Vice Captain, but mostly Navigator. But I' also a good thief."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah."

"Well you're not that good."

"Excuse me?"

"If you were a good thief," Nami said, holding up Aika's mini-purse, "you would have noticed I took this."

"You're a bad thief, too."

"What!?"

Aika held up Nami's mini-purse, "cause you didn't notice I took yours, either."

They stared at each other a moment, got back their respective mini-purses, and started laughing.

"I think we're going to be great friends!" Nami said, trying to stop.

"Me, Too" Aika said, also trying to stop.

Robin and Fina were at the Sunny's Library.

"There are so many books," Fina said, picking one up at random, "and all of them look so interesting."

"I see that you really like this place."

"Well, I like finding stuff out, getting to the bottom of things."

"Interesting, I'm a little like that as well."

Fina looked through the book she picked up. "So, what are the Polyglyphs?"

"Oh, you know about those?"

"Not much, just that they're a part of the world's history."

"Indeed they are. I've spent my life searching for the Rio Polyglyph."

"Is that the one with the true history?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess"

The two of them laughed a little.

"I think I can read them."

"You think you can?" Robin asked, walking over to a table with some pens and paper, "Can you read this?" Robin started drawing some of the letters of the Polyglyph language on it.

Fina studied it for a bit, "Be careful about who you tell about what you know...?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"This is because the World Government forbids it, right?"

"Indeed, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me, as well as the rest of the crew."

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to know of this language? Is it used in the lands of Arcadia?"

"Not exactly. I was taught by the six elders of the Silver Shrine. It is the ancient Silivite Language."

"Is that so? That is very interesting."

"Is something wrong?" Fina asked, seeing a concerned look on Robin's Face.

"It's nothing. We should probably go and eat. Luffy has a habit of eating everything on site."

Fina giggled as she and Robin left the library.

Luffy and Vyse had already finished eating, and were at the head of the ship, where Luffy was sitting in his special seat.

"That was a great meal," Vyse complimented.

"I know, Sanji is the best cook in the world."

"Is he now?"

"Well, he will be when he finds All Blue."

"Undoubtedly." There was a small silence. "Say, Luffy?"

"Huh?"

"Would you mind if we joined you guys on your adventure?"

"Why would you want to join us? With your ship, you could probably fly to the Island of One Piece."

"That's true, but where's the fun in that?"

"I guess there isn't any."

"Exactly. Two things you should know about me. One, I love an adventure. And two, I don't want to ruin people's dreams."

"If you ruin someone's dream you're a bad person."

"And if I got One Piece, that would be Ruining your dream, wouldn't it?"

"Nah, I'd just have to beat you up and steal One Piece from you."

The two captains laughed.

"I guess you could do that," Vyse, still laughing, "but seriously, we wouldn't know where to go. We don't have the maps, we don't have a Log Pose, and most important of all-"

"Meat?"

"Haha! No, we don't have a reason to go after One Piece."

"because you're already King of the Blue Rouges?"

"Yeah! I don't need the title King of the Pirates. But If I were helping you guys, I'd be getting my adventure, while helping someone achieve their dream."

"There's one problem though."

"and what's that?"

"I'm not the only one searching for One Piece. You'd be stopping lots of Pirates dreams."

"Only half true. Are any of them as determined as you are to get it?"

"Probably not."

"Then, by all logic, if I tried helping any other pirate searching for One Piece, I'd fail."

Luffy laughed, "I guess you're right."

"Say, Captain?" said Hans, "Our crews have been talking about playing a game."

"What game you have in mind?" Vyse asked with a smirk.

"well, since the Straw Hats are kinda like Blue Rouges, perhaps a Game of Capture the Flag?"

"Sounds fun!" Luffy said with a smile.

"I guess we're playing Capture the Flag, but we Blue Rouges need to select 3 members to join the Straw Hat's Team, so everyone can Play."

"Eye, eye!" and Hans went back to the deck to get the game started.

"This is gonna be fun" Vyse said, giving a competitive glare to Luffy.

"May the Best team win," Luffy said, "Mine."

Both captains laughed as they headed toward the Deck.

(Sec 16) * * * * *

The Black Cat Pirates just landed on the east side of the island.

"Alright, quickly, Hide the ship. I do not want anyone to know we're here."

"EYE, EYE, Captain Kuro, SIR!"

(Sec 17) * * * * *

"Okay, Buggy Crew!" said the Captain, "Weigh Anchor, and wait, Flashily. We should be alright behind this Giant Rock Formation."

(Sec 18) * * * * *

"Okay," Vyse started, "Don, Pinta, and Ryu-kan, you're on the Straw Hat's Team."

"Eye, Eye!" said the three men.

"Now then, everyone know the rules?"

"EYE, EYE!" said the two crews.

"Okay, Luffy, you know which territory you want?"

"We'll take this half of the Island."

"Okay, Blue Rouges, Move out!"

Luffy had a small version of Vyse's Flag, while Vyse had a small version of Luffy's.

Luffy rocketed up to the bottom of the crow's nest, and used a piece of tape to hold it down, then jumped into the crow's nest to look where his opponent was in the thick forest. Zoro, Ryu-kan, and Sanji kept a guard around the ship. Franky, Pinta, and Robin were nearby the Mast. Nami, Don, and Usopp took opposite sides on the ship. Straw Hat Base: Secure.

Vyse looked around the island, seeing the landscape was flat.

"Domingo, you see any good high points?"

Domingo looked around, and saw something on the east side of the island.

"There looks to be a large rock over there that we could climb."

"Alright! Blue Rouges, spread out!"

Vyse got to the large rock, "hmm, this seems odd...I don't remember seeing a rock here when I saw this island from a distance. Oh well."

Hearing a Rustle in the bushes surrounding the rock, Vyse called over Aika and Fina.

"You two think you can burn these bushes, without catching the forest on fire?"

"Um...Yeah" Fina said, a little nervous.

"But why?" Aika asked.

"I've noticed there isn't animal life on this island, and I didn't see anybody follow us."

"Alright," Aika said, "ALPHA STORM!"

"PYRES!"

The Bushes caught fire, and a few men wearing Cat ears came out.

"Who are you guys!?" Vyse demanded.

Before they could answer, the 'rock' caught fire as well.

"What is going on out here!?" Said, what Vyse assumed was, the captain.

"We're sorry, Captain Kuro, Sir!" said one cat eared man.

"We were hiding when these guys set fire to our camouflage."

Captain Kuro looked over to Vyse, Aika, and Fina. "So, you have discovered where we are. My plan must not be messed with, you will have to die."

"They called you 'Captain Kuro', right?"

"Yes, that is indeed what they called me."

"Straw Hat Luffy told us about you. Apparently, the Navy still doesn't know you still live."

"You know my secret, as well?"

"I guess we do."

"That's a shame," and with that, Captain Kuro started his quick step, appearing right in front of Aika, and was about to unleash his Cat Claws on her, when Vyse Jumped into the way, blocking Kuro's ten blades with his two Sky Fang Cutlasses.

"I will be you're opponent. Aika, Fina, Find the crew, have them let the Straw Hats know that Kuro is here."

"But, Vyse," Aika said, "what about you?"

"I've dealt with worse, GO!"

"How noble of you," Kuro said, taking a couple of quick steps back, after the women left, "but now, you shall die for not letting them help."

Vyse had already started charging Kuro, "Shut up already! CUTLASS FURY!" getting a few slices on Kuro.

"GAH!" Kuro yelled in pain, kneeling on the ground, "what, no banter?"

"Save the banter for either before the fight, or after, never in the middle of one."

"but we haven't started yet"

"It started when you attacked my friend. Now are we going to finish this?"

"Do you have a plan of attack?"

"No."

"Then you will fall!" Kuro did another quick step, making him disappear. He appeared right behind Vyse, "Where are you Looking!?" But before he could claw Vyse into pieces, Vyse jumped into the air. Even though the sky was clear, dark clouds swirled above where Vyse had jumped. Crossing his swords, called the lightning within the clouds, and saying...

"RAIN OF SWORDS!" and Electric Swords rained down on Kuro, as well as the men on Deck of the Black Cat. Kuro got back up after a moment to catch his breath.

"Who the hell is this brat?" he thought to himself.

"I am Vyse, King of the Blue Rouges, and Legendary Hero of the Arcadian Skies."

"So, you can read minds?" Kuro said, thinking he figured out Vyse's plan.

"No, you're just predictable. You attacked one of my friends, acting to kill. That does not sit well with me," a tornado started to surround Vyse, while a sword held above his head was drawing lighting, "and for that, you have incurred my PIRATE'S WRATH!" Vyse threw the Lightning Tornado at Kuro, too fast for him to dodge, paralyzing him in place, where Vyse then rushed to him, slicing through Kuro twice. He picked Kuro up, and threw him through one of the walls of his Captain's Quarters on his ship. "Now," Vyse said, jumping onto Kuro's ship, "who else wants a piece of me?" Everyone on deck backed up one step.

"What do you want!?" Saim asked.

"Whatever it is, we'll give it." said Butchie.

"First, hand over all your Treasure" Aika said, jumping onto the deck, next to Vyse.

"Then, I want your Flag."

"WHAT!?" Said the Black Cat Pirates.

"Do it!" Fina said, a little mad about what happened earlier, "You saw what happened to your Captain."

The crew looked over to their fallen captain. Within a few minutes all the treasure of the Black Cat Pirates was on top of a Black Cat Flag on the beach below.

"Now get out of here!" Vyse commanded, and the Black Cat Pirates set sail in the opposite direction. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats arrived a few minutes later.

"Where is he!?" Usopp said, rage in his eyes, remembering what Kuro did to Kiya on his home island.

"He's gone," Vyse explained, "Never even touched me. His crew was so scared they threw down all their loot." The Straw Hats saw the Pile of money, Nami looked very happy to see it. "Oh, and Luffy?" Vyse added.

"Yeah?"

"We win," Vyse said with a smile, Pulling Kuro's Flag from under the Pile of Treasure. Both Crews Laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

(Sec 19) * * * * *

"So you took him out in three moves?" Luffy said, stunned at Vyse's story of defeating the Black Cat Pirates.

"Yup! If I wasn't strong, how could I get the title of King of Blue Rouges?"

"That's true." Luffy said with a grin, looking over at Nami, who was counting up the treasure they jut got.

"So, Luffy, about my offer?"

"Huh? Oh! You mean letting you come along?"

"Yeah. I think our crews will get along great, and I just want to find One Piece for the Adventure."

"I guess you could come along. But I'd have to ask my crew, they may want to continue alone."

"I can understand that."

"Is there a reason you took Kuro's Flag?"

"I have a few. First, you told me he tired of the pirate life. If that's true, he doesn't deserve to fly, in this case, the Cat and Crossbones. And secondly, if he has any pride at all, this will cut deep into it."

Luffy laughed, "I wish I thought of that the first time."

"Hey, Eyepatch!?" Franky said, "are we going to tour your ship or, what?"

"Right, lets grab the treasure and head back."

After they got back to their ships, Nami volunteered to count and separate the money. Aika said she'd stay behind as well. Robin and Fina went back to the Sunny's Library. Zoro went to take yet another nap. The rest of the Straw Hats went with Vyse.

A little later...

"and this is the Bridge," Vyse said, leading them to the last room on the ship.

"Wow, this place sure is fancy," Franky complimented, "You even have a Throne in here!"

"Heh heh heh, like I said, this ship belongs to Enrique."

"Well, that guy has some good taste."

"Say, you mind if I use your kitchen to make dinner?" Sanji asked.

"Not at all. Urala should already be there."

and within a few seconds, Sanji was gone.

"Say, didn't you say something about a Moon Stone Cannon?" Usopp asked, looking forward to seeing it.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Can we see it?" Chopper asked excitedly.

"I guess, but it takes a lot of moonstones to Power it, so I don't want to risk not getting back to my island."

"That wouldn't be good, never being able to get home." Luffy said.

"Where do you store it?" Franky asked, "I haven't seen a big cannon, except for the ones on the front."

"Here we go," Vyse said, pushing the button to let the Moon Stone Cannon out. The massive cannon then emerged from the Delphinus.

"WHOA!" Usopp said, "That thing could take out a small island!"

"REALLY!?" Chopper said with a surprised look on his face.

"It may be able too, but I usually fire it at enemy ships when I've been challenged, or on Monsters bigger then the ship."

"How many Monsters are bigger then your ship?" Luffy asked.

"Lets see, there was the Roc, a Giant Bird, The Giant Squid, The Large Looper, a few types of Sky Manta Rays, some weird Web Insect, as well as 5 of the 6 Gigas. There may be more, but I haven't seen any."

"You're so COOL!" Chopper said.

Aika and Fina came in with a big bag of treasure, "Here's Our share!" Aika said.

"Alright, not a bad haul for our first day on the Grand Line."

"OH! I'm going to go see what we got in our share!" said Luffy, how just Rocketed down to the deck.

"Hey wait up!" Franky said.

"Yeah, we want to see it too!" Said Usopp and Chopper as they followed their captain.

"They are one odd bunch," Aika said.

"Yeah, but you have to admit, they know how to have fun."

(Sec 20) * * * * *

About half an hour later, they had dinner, where they partied a bit more and went back to their respective ships for a good nights rest.

"Hey, guys?" Luffy asked his fellow Straw Hats.

"What is it, Luffy?" Nami asked.

"How would you guys feel if Vyse tagged along with us?"

"Sounds good to me!" Nami said, hoping to get a chance to steal from Aika again.

"Super!" Franky said, thinking he'll get a better shot at the Delphinus' Engines.

"I have no problem with it," Sanji said, thinking of all the beautiful Blue Rouge women .

"Do whatever you want, captain," Zoro said, going back to bed...again.

"I've grown rather fond of the Silivite," Robin said, who has enjoyed Fina's company thus far.

"This will give me a chance to see that Moon Stone Cannon in action," Usopp said.

"That'll be so COOL!" Chopper said with excitement.

"Yosh! Then, it's decided, we'll stay here until Vyse's friends come back."

"But Luffy, we don't know how long that will take," Nami stated, "we've been here for two days, and in a little less then three weeks, the Log Pose will change."

"You Are Not Making Me Miss MERMAID ISLAND you Shitty Bastard!" Sanji said with fire in his eyes.

"Calm down, they'll be back long before that."

"There you go, making groundless statements again."

"They'll be back, I know it. Now, I'll go on first watch."

and with that, Luffy stretched his arms into the Crow's Nest, and jumped in.

Vyse wanted to look out from the Delphinus' Crow's Nest, since its been so long from the last time he did. Then Luffy's hands grabbed onto one of the railings, with Luffy appearing shortly afterwards.

"Hiya!"

"Well, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you up here?"

"The Crew would love you and your crew to accompany us."

"That's awesome! When do we set sail?"

"As soon as your friends get back."

"That could be a while."

"Yeah, Nami said that, too."

Vyse looked out onto the sea, "hey, is that a ship?"

Luffy looked where Vyse was, seeing a ship coming out from hiding behind a large rock, "Looks like it, can you get a closer look?"

Vyse put his hand on his eye patch, adjusting the looking glass, "I see a Pirate Flag, and the skull looks like a clown."

"That's Buggy's ship, then. We should go wake the others."

"Hold on, Luffy, your crew must be tired, I mean, we DID wake you guys up in the middle of the night, and you haven't slept since, except for Zoro."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, let them sleep. You and I are more then enough to take them out if they come this way."

"Don't leave us out of this," Aika said while coming onto the Crow's Nest, followed by Fina.

"This sounds like fun," Luffy said, stretching his arms back, noticing the Buggy Ship was coming strait for them, "Grab On! GUM, GUM, ROCKET!" Luffy grabbed onto the mast of the oncoming ship, then pulling themselves toward it.

"What the Heck!?" said a Buggy Crewmember.

"What was that?" said another.

"What's going on out here?" Buggy said, coming from his Captain's Quarters.

"I saw something red-"

"ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF MY NOSE!?" Buggy said angrily, grabbing the man that was 30 feet away and bringing him close.

"N-n-no Captain Buggy sir! We saw something red flying through the air. We didn't see what it was."

Buggy let the man go, "That might have been Straw Hat. Spread out! Find that Monkey!"

Behind some barrels, the four of them hid.

"Alright, Luffy, what's the plan?"

"Um..."

"...you don't have a plan, do you?"

"Never do!"

"Okay, Vyse, what now?" Aika said a little impatiently.

"Well, how about you and Fina take out the crew?"

"Kay, how do we do that?"

"Lure them to the center of the deck, and try Lambda Burst and Lunar Winds."

"Okay," Fina spoke up, "Let's go."

After some sneaking around with Fina, they made it to the center of the Deck. "Oh Boys~" Aika said in a sexy tone, "Can you help us out? We don't know where we are."

"Of course we can help a couple of pretty ladies like you," said Kabaji the Acrobat.

"What type of gentlemen would we be otherwise?" said Mohji the Lion Tamer.

As the Buggy Pirates got closer to the girls, Fina said, "Moons," Cupil started inhaling lots of air, "Cleanse the Lands!" Cupil then Released all the air, petrifying everyone on deck, except for Aika, Vyse, and Luffy.

Aika yelled, "FIRE CINSUME MY ENEMIES! Lambda Burst!"

Within moments, all the Buggy Pirates were down.

"What's with all the Yelling?" said Alvida, coming out of the Captain's Quarters, followed by Buggy.

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?" Buggy yelled as soon as he saw his deck was burnt with all of his men. He glared at Aika and Fina, "Who are you?"

"I'm Aika."

"and I'm Fina."

"We'll be taking all your treasure now."

"Oh really?" Buggy said, light gleaming from his eyes, "You and what army?"

"GUM, GUM, PISTOL!" Luffy said as he punched Buggy across the Deck.

"CUTLASS FURY!" Vyse said, cutting the ground beneath Alvida, sending her through the floor.

Buggy stumbled up, "Straw Hat, we were just coming bye to say hi. So, who are you're friends? Zoro and Nami in Disguse?"

"No, I'm Vyse, King of the Blue Rouges."

"I'm Aika."

"and I'm Fina."

"Well, if you're going to get in my way of getting Revenge on Luffy here, you're going down with him!"

"Rain of Swords!"

The Lightning Blades, though not harming Buggy by slicing, electrocuted him.

"I'm getting really mad, now. I'm going to take you down in the Flashiest way possible. CHOP CHOP...FESTIVAL!"

Buggy's Body split into 100 pieces, flying everywhere, slamming into Luffy and Vyse. Buggy pulled himself back together.

"Now for you two," Buggy said, hiding his hands beneath his coat, "CHOP CHOP...HARPOON!"

He threw his hands through the air, each holding four knives. Vyse got up, and sliced the hands at the Fingers, disarming them...even more so. Alvida finally got up, jumped through the hole she fell through earlier and smacked Vyse with her giant spiked club.

"VYSE! NO!"

"I'll...be alright...just take care of them."

"Please," Alvida started, "little girls like yourselves aren't going to be able to defeat Captain Buggy and My beautiful self."

Aika smacked Alvida with her boomerang.

"No one DARES hurt my husband like that and get away with it!" she started swinging her boomerang around, "Here goes!" she threw her boomerang up, then leaping into the air she grabbed it, and threw her now multiple boomerangs down, creating a perimeter around Buggy, Alvida, and a few Buggy Pirates. When her boomerangs came back and re-joined, she threw it down toward the center of the perimeter she just made yelling, "OMEGA CYCLONE!" where a huge explosion took place.

Vyse got up and walked over to Aika, "geez, I wasn't that badly hurt. A simple Sacrulen spell from Fina fixed it."

"I'm just a little more protective now that you're mine."

"Heh heh," Vyse chuckled, walking over to Luffy, stunned at what he just saw, "Lets say we grab the treasure, redirect this boat, send them sailing elsewhere, and get out of here?"

Luffy snapped out of his awe, "Uh, yeah."

After they got everything ready, Luffy rocketed back to the island, where he crashed into the Delphinus, and landed on the deck of the Sunny, waking Nami up.

"Luffy!" Nami said, coming out of here room, "What...~is with all the treasure~?" she said, forgetting her anger.

"Buggy was coming for a fight. So we met him halfway, beat his ass, and took all his money."

But Nami wasn't listening, she was already counting the money with Aika.

"It's late, Luffy. I'm off to sleep." Vyse said, having Fina help him drag Aika away from the gold.

"But the money!" Aika said with gold symbols in her eyes.

Luffy tried to drag Nami away, but it was no use, so he just went to his room and slept until breakfast.

The Straw Hats saw Nami sleeping on top of the gold when morning came...

(Sec 21) * * * * *

It had been two days since Jones took Enrique and the other world leaders to World Government HQ.

"Excuse me?" Moegi said to Jones, "But, um, how long until we get there?"

Jones shape-shifted his hand into a looking glass and looked into the distance, "Should only be a few more hours."

"You know," Enrique started, "we've been sailing for two days now, and you haven't said much. Shouldn't you give us more info on this World Government?"

"In your world, you and the other three, ARE the world government. You do what you think is right. The World Government here is corrupted. Now, I wouldn't be asking you to join unless some good came out of it. You'll get to meet lots of other Kings from around the world, like King Nefertari Cobra and his daughter, Nefertari Vivi of the Dessert Realm of Alabasta."

"I don't mean to be rude, but we don't know who you are talking about."

"Hmm? Oh right, you weren't at the ship when Vyse and Luffy exchanged stories."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see, as I've said before, I'm a very powerful person, and I have many different powers. One of them is able to eavesdrop on conversations. Soon after we left, Vyse and Luffy exchanged stories of their adventures."

"Okay, but we still don't know who you're talking about."

"Cobra and Vivi are probably the best rulers I've seen in this world, that's all you need to know for now. You two should go get some sleep. I'll let you know when we arrive at World Government HQ."


	6. Chapter 6

(Sec 22) * * * * *

At World Government Headquarters, on the Island of Mariejoa, Soldiers were laying on the ground. They were all horribly beaten and had heavy wounds from swords. The recent attack happened so quickly and quietly, the 5 Elder Stars, Chief Advisor Tsuru and Sengoko the Buddha, who were about to start a meeting, didn't hear anything. As They started, a wounded soldier barged in.

"RUN, They are too-AUHG!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the soldier fell to the ground. Above the now fallen soldier, was a Boy, with White Hair, Grey Eyes, and wearing a Black Uniform with Red and Gold Lining.

"Who are you!?" Sengoku said, standing up from his chair.

"I am Rameriez. I am here to introduce My Master. Please welcome..."

A second man started walking in. He wore a Large Black Coat that completely hid his body.

"...Lord Galacian!"

"What do you want?" Sengoku said, "This is strictly a meeting for the World Government Representatives."

"I want," Galacian started, "to join the World Government."

"After you just took out our soldiers," Said one of the Elder Stars, "and barged in on a meeting of the most powerful force in this world!?"

"Your men would have been fine, had they co-operated."

"But they attacked us first." Rameriez said.

"Joining the World Government isn't going to be as simple as asking us," Tsuru said, "You would have to prove yourself, and even though it might have been self defense, you still attacked our men, which is a sign of war."

Not too far away from Mariejoa, Jones shape-shifted his hand into a Looking Glass to see up ahead, having a perfect view of the Meeting Room. As he looked, he immediately recognized Galacian and Rameriez. Quickly, but quietly, he looked in the room where the World Leaders were still planning on what they would tell the World Government.

"Okay, we're here, but I need to talk to them first to see if it's alright."

"Will they even know who you are?" Diago asked.

"The Elder Stars are here. I'm sure they will."

"Elder Stars?" Rupee Asked.

"I'll explain before the meeting. I'll be back shortly"

With that, he disappeared out of the room. When he got out on deck, he did some motions with his hands, having the ship go higher in the sky, above the clouds. He the Sprouted Wings and flew down to the Balcony of the Meeting Room.

"What is it with unexpected guests today!? Sengoku shouted."

"He always does this," said one of the Elder Stars.

"Me!?" Sengoku said.

"I believe they are refereeing to me," Jones said, "I'm here to help clear up what's going on."

"Are you with Galacian?" Tsuru asked.

"No, I'm here of my own accord. NOW, this is going to take a minute, but don't freak out." as he finished his sentence, he shot his fingers across the room, and invaded each person's mind, exchanging the information needed. When it was done, he brought brought his fingers back.

"What the hell was that?" Galacian said calmly.

"That, my friend, was a fast way of explaining things. You now all know that your two worlds were once one. You also know of Galacian's and Rameriez's past deeds and why they should not be allowed to join the World Government."

"You bastard!" Rameriez said as he drew his sword and lunged at Jones.

"Noro Noro BEAM!" Rameriez had come to almost a complete halt. Jones walked over, took Rameriez's sword, sheathed it, and turned Rameriez around. When the beam lost it's effect, he fell face first onto the floor.

"But, how?" Rameriez started.

"I have great power, which you will never defeat. Now, I believe the two of you should be going, before I kill you."

"This is not over," Galacian said. He turned and walked out, Rameriez close behind.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Sengoku said, "They are dangerous, after all."

"Do not worry about it," an Elder Star said, "besides, we have preparations for the next King's Counsel to make."

"which is why I came here to begin with," Jones said, "With me, I have the 4 World Leaders from the Skies of Arcadia. They wish to join the counsel."

"Well hurry up and get them in here," Sengoku said, "we don't have all day."

Jones made a few motions with his hands. About a minute later, his ship was at the Balcony. The World Leaders stepped off, followed closely by their Body Guards.

"What happened here?" said Ixa'Taka, noticing the wounded soldier.

"I had to take care of a couple of men, nothing to worry about." Jones said, "The Medics should be here soon."

"Why would you like to join the World Government's King's Counsel?" Tsuru said.

"Well," Enrique started, "Our skies have reached World Piece, and we would like to join your King's Counsel to aid our soon to be fellow kingdoms."

"And you all agree with this?" said another Elder Star.

The other Kings agreed.

"How did you all achieve this peace?" Sengoku asked.

"We were all united by a single enemy," Diago said, "and after that enemy was defeated, we helped each other rebuild our ruined empires."

"The peace has lasted ever since" Nasultain Rupee said.

"Well, it hard to argue with that," An Elder Star said, "The next Meeting of the Kings will be taking place in 3 weeks time."

"More then enough time for me" Jones said.

"Time for what?" Sengoku asked.

"I will be bringing both our worlds back together again. Two weeks should be more then enough time for you guys to let both worlds know what's going to happen so no one can freak out."

"and how long would it take you to do this re-alliance?" Tsuru asked.

"With my power, about a day, More likely less."

"Have you that kind of Power?" an Elder Star asked.

"Let me put it this way. If I truly wanted to, I could easily take over both worlds by my self. But I have no desire for that. Peace sounds nice right about now, so that's what I'm helping with. Is there any information you need from these Kings before we go?"

"what you have given us should be enough," said another Elder Star.

"In that case, I must be off with this Kings. There is much to do."

(Sec 23) * * * * *

At the Base of the World Government Headquarters, Galacian and Rameriez were preparing their small boat to leave.

"Rameriez, do we know that man was?"

"I don't think we do, my lord."

"But I know him," said a hidden voice.

"Who's there?" Galacian said, taking off his coat and unsheathing his sword in one swift movement. Rameriez Taking out his sword as well.

"Calm yourself, Galacian," said the voice again, "just get us away for these Headquarters, I don't want a Lot of attention"

After sailing for about 20 minutes, the Mystery Man showed himself.

"I know you," Galacian said, "You're Lord Zylivan Bane."

"Bravo, you can read a Wanted Poster."

"You will not insult Galacian like that!" Rameriez said, about to lunge at him.

"Hold, Rameriez, he may have something useful to say."

"A wise move, Galacian. I do, indeed, have information you may like. First off, that man who had humiliated you earlier was known as Jones D. Davy."

"I've never heard of him."

"That is because they say names in a weird way in this world. The name we would know him by is Davy Jones D."

"Davy Jones?"

"Yes, but that is unimportant."

"Why is that, Bane?"

"My spies have far more interesting news. They work very well even though we've been in this world for less then 3 days."

"How did you come to this world? We've also only been here for 3 Days."

"That is for me to know. If you want anymore information from me, I'd like information from you."

"That would depend on what you want to know."

"How is Rameriez alive? I was there on the day your Empire Fell, but I know for a Fact that Rameriez Died that day."

"Where do I start...? Ah yes. When Belleza Crashed into my escape pod, I landed on a nearby island. When I came to, I saw that the Delphinus was attacking Zelos in his full form. After his defeat, I saw that Silver Ball Crash into the ship. I would have gone to help, but my wounds were to great for me to move. I saw Vyse later on, throwing the Moon Crystals to the sky. After 2 weeks of pain suffering and starvation, I was able to move again. I found Rameriez's ship, and flew into deep sky. I found that the Moon Crystals had landed on Solstice. Those Silivites were a smart bunch. They had a way to resurrect the dead. So I spent several months practicing my Silver Magic. Sacrificing the Silver Moon Crystal, I was able to revive Rameriez. Since then, we were hiding in the Dark Rift, Making ourselves stronger, so we could take on Vyse and exact our revenge."

"You must have been hiding well."

"What do you mean?"

"The Dark Rift is where My Base of Operations was."

"Really now?"

"But enough Small Talk, I would like to team up with you. I, too, have a score to settle with Vyse."

"That seems reasonable"

"GOOD! Now, how much do you know about this world?"

"I know more now then I did this morning. Devil Fruits, Pirates, The 3 Main Powers, and all that."

"What about a Monkey D. Luffy?"

"All I know about him would be he's worth 300,000,000 Beli, which translates into Gold in our world."

"Do you know how he got such a High Bounty?"

"Yes."

"Good, that will speed things up. One of my Spies came back this morning, and has informed me that Vyse has made an Alliance with Luffy."

"That could be a problem."

"Not much of one, in fact, it would make things easier for us."

"How so?"

"We could go and Gather Luffy's Enemies."

"Interesting. But where do we start?"

Bane took out a Map of the Grand Line, "HERE," He pointed to a spot on the map, "This is a High Security Navy Base holding the Worst Pirate Captains. Just recently, they got these Prisoners." Bane brought out some Wanted Posters.

"The First is Captain Ax Hand Morgan. He was Captain of a Military Base in East Blue, and ruled the Base and the Island Town with an Iron Fist. He was defeated by Luffy and his First Mate, Roanola Zoro.

"The Second is Don Grieg. He had an Armada of 50 Pirate Ships and known for his low down tricks to get what he wanted. Defeated by Luffy and his cook, Black Leg Sanji. Don Grieg was turned in by his Right Hand Man, probably because Grieg tried killing him first.

"Third is Sawtooth Arlong. He's a Merman who was the Equal of one of the War Lords, and was building an Empire. He was defeated by Luffy and his Crew, which included Navigator Nami, and Sniper Usopp(who doesn't have a Wanted Poster)."

"Forth is King Wapol. WAS King of Drum Island, Land of the Best Doctors in the World. He was defeated by Luffy ad Doctor Chopper. He landed on a Military Base, and when they took him to Drum Island, the new king, Dalton, explained he was a pirate.

"Last, Ex Warlord, Sir Crocodile. He was the Hero of the Alabasta Kingdom. But Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates exposed him for the evil man he truly was. He was defeated by Luffy and Ms. Niko Robin."

"So, how are we going to bust them out?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something. I must be off. I have Lost Artifacts I must obtain. I'll meet you at that base in 4 days."

Before Galacian could object, Bane had Vanished.

"My Lord, should we really Trust him?"

"He wants revenge on Vyse as Much as we do. But if he tries anything, he is not powerful enough to stop us both."

Rameriez hit a few switches and the ship began to rise out of the water, and sailed strait for the Navy Prison.


	7. Chapter 7

(Sec 24) * * * * *

It had been 5 days since Jones took the World Leaders to World Government HQ. Each Member of both crews had shown their skills in various competitions. Usopp had proven he was a better sniper then Khazim, but not by much. Kirala gave Franky a run for his money in the sculpture contest. Pinta took both Franky and Usopp on in an Invention Competition and barely won with his levitating cannon. Domingo and Nami were to find a treasure chest the captains went to bury. Nami obviously won that one. Zoro, Vyse, and Ryu-kan each tested their Skills with a Sword. Vyse and Zoro have much to learn. The last competition was Urala and Sanji in a cook off. They both finished their dishes when Jones finally returned.

"Well, this is certainly a nice welcome," Jones said, setting up a way for the World Leaders to get off the ship.

"You're Back!" Vyse stated, "How did it go?"

"Well," Jones started, deciding whether or not he should tell everyone about Galacian and Rameriez, "everything went well. I'm going to be taking everybody back to Arcadia soon so these guys," he pointed at the Kings, who had grabbed a bowl of Urala's Dish, "can let their people know what's going down. We have 2 weeks before our worlds merge."

"TWO WEEKS!?" Nami shouted, "We don't have that kind of time!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't yell. Ears be a little sensitive. And as I recall, you had 3 weeks from when you landed here, and it's been 6 days. So even if you stay for the two weeks, you'll STILL have a day left over."

"But-," Nami started, but was then cut off.

"There be no 'buts' about it," Jones turned to Vyse, "would you like to go back to Arcadia with the rest of us? You'd get a chance to maybe get back a couple of your old crew mates. Possibly even a couple of others."

Vyse thought about it for a minute, "My Kings, I take it you won't be traveling with us anymore?"

"We do have our responsibilities," King Ixa'Taka said.

Vyse turned back to Jones, "Would you be able to send me back here as soon as I was done in Arcadia?"

"That would be no problem at all," Jones responded.

"Alright, Luffy, would you like to come with us?"

"That would be AWESOME!" Luffy exclaimed, thrusting his fists in the air. He turned to his crew, "Anybody else want to come?"

"Although it sounds interesting," Franky started, "I'd like to stay here with the Sunny."

"I'll stay with Franky on this one," Usopp said.

"I'm going," Nami said, "somebody has to keep you out of trouble."

"Nami-Swan!" Sanji exclaimed.

"I would very much like to look around your skies," Robin added in.

"Robin-Chwan!"

"I don't know," Chopper started.

"I'll be attempting to get the World's finest Doctor back in my Crew," Vyse said, "Maybe you two could exchange notes?"

"Let my grab my books!"

"I'd like to take a look at what swords you have," Zoro said.

"Alright," Luffy said, "Usopp, Franky, stay out of trouble," and broke out a grin.

"You're the one who always finds trouble," Usopp said with an angry look in his eyes.

"Captain!" Pinta said, "I'd like to request permission to stay."

"Me, too, Sir!" Hans chipped in.

"Oh? And what would you two be doing here?"

Pinta answered, "Hans and I would like to work with Franky on a New Device."

"Oi, the less I know about this the better. You both may stay."

"Thank You Sir!" Pinta and Hans said.

After everyone had eaten, Jones, Vyse, Luffy, and everyone else who was going boarded the Delphinus. As Vyse took the helm, Jones stood at the very tip of the Delphinus.

"Awww," Luffy complained, "That's the seat I wanted."

"Sorry, Luffy," Vyse apologized, "But if you fell off, we can't exactly dive after you."

The ship rose high into the air, Jones giving Vyse directions on where the Portal was going to open up. A little later, Jones signaled Vyse to stop. After doing some hand motions, which still confused everybody, The Black Hole opened up, swallowing the Delphinus, and then disappeared.

The night was quiet and calm.

(Sec 25) * * * * *

Back in Arcadia, more specifically, in Maramba, Baltor and his Black Pirates had just finished ransacking the town and were back at the docks.

"Great work, Mateies!" Baltor said with a laugh, "Now lets go before trouble shows up."

"Too late!" said a voice, "You will put down your weapons, return what you stole, and you will surrender yourselves to the Valuan Armada!"

Baltor turned around to see who of the Valuan Armada was speaking to him. It was Marco, Dressed in his Admiral Suit and Armor. Behind Marco was his Flag ship, The Yellow Dragon, and a squadron of 20 Elite Valuan Soldiers, each armed with a Short Sword and a Hand Gun.

"And if we refuse?" Baltor asked.

"Then we do this the hard way," Marco said with a mean look in his eyes.

"Alrighty," Baltor turned to his men, of which a few were already heading towards the cannons of The Black Beard Mk II, "MEN! FIRE AT WILL!"

And with that the many cannons of the Black Beard fired at the dock towards Marco. There was a huge explosion, in which smoke only followed. The Elite Soldiers began to attack the Pirates. When the smoke cleared, Marco was gone.

"Haha!" Baltor laughed again, "No man can survive that!"

"Captain! Behind You!" yelled one of Baltor's men.

"That may be true," Marco said, his two short swords drawn, "but it was easily dodged."

As Marco went to strike, One of Baltor's Pirates got a free shot at his arm. With the extra moment, Baltor turned around and kicked Marco across the stomach, sending him into a nearby wall. As two of the Soldiers ran to see if their Admiral was alright, the overwhelming Pirates threw the rest of them onto the docks.

"Let's go, Me Hearties!" Baltor said as he jumped onto the ship. As they sailed away, Baltor yelled out, "Better Luck next time, Kid!"

"Are you hurt, Admiral Marco?"

"Just my Pride. Quickly! Get back on the ship and pursue them!" But as Marco finished his sentence, The Black Beard fired another round of Cannon Fire at the Yellow Dragon, damaging it greatly.

"...perfect. Just. Freaking. Perfect."

The Black Beard made it's way to Esperanza, The Lookout could not see the Dark Rift anywhere, which was especially strange, seeing as the Dark Rift was stretched all over the world. As he kept up his search, he saw a ship in the distance. He adjusted his Looking Glass to see three times as far. Immediately, he recognized the ship, and with a closer look, saw it's Captain.

"CAPTAIN BALTOR! Dead Ahead Of Us Is The Delphinus! Vyse Is At Command!"

"Perfect," Baltor said to himself, "Engineer, the adjustments have been made, correct?"

"Yes Sir! With the Blue Prints we stole from Yufotama, we should be able to go above and below clouds."

"Lower the Ship! When Vyse passes over us, we'll raise and ambush him and his crew!"

(Sec 26) * * * * *

"I don't feel so good," Luffy said.

"That Vortex can give you a headache," Vyse said, "we're making a quick stop at Esperanza soon. We need to drop off Don."

Luffy stumbled off the Bridge and tried heading toward the Galley, thinking eating something would help him feel better. Along his way, he accidentally bumped into a Wooden Closet and fell to the floor. The closet doors opened and Luffy discovered it was all of Vyse's Swords...which were now falling toward him as Vyse made a turn. Luffy moved as fast as he could, but as the swords fell, they shredded his Vest and Pants, but Luffy got out, unharmed.

"Don, take the wheel for a moment, I'm going to see what that racket was about."

"Eye, Eye, Captain."

As Vyse stepped out into the hall, he saw Luffy covering himself with the shreds of cloths he had left.

"How...never mind. I have a spare set of cloths in my quarters you can borrow."

Vyse's spare set actually belonged to his impostor Vize, which he got when he saw one of his shows. Luffy took a look at himself in the Mirror he had there, taking a good look at the Red Outfit. He looked around a bit and found an eyepatch that looked like Vyse's. He put it on and combed his hair a little. He stepped out.

"Vyse Impression!"

"Haha!" Vyse laughed, "That's a good one!" After laughing for a bit, "We should be in Esperanza, now. We're going to re-stock on some supplies."

"Sounds good!"

Esperanza had been really turned around once the nations came to peace. The entire town was fixed up. The once run down fort had been rebuilt, repaired, and fixed. Cannons were at the ready for Pirates and Giant Monsters alike. The Town was also a nice place to visit again. It was no longer the depressing hole of failure it was when Vyse visited a year ago. Don's Side Business, Dark Rift Rides, was a great attraction, too bad the Dark Rift was gone now. After stocking up on food and water, Vyse said he'd treat everyone at the town bar, since he and his crew were on the tender's good side for helping her get in touch with her mom.

"Hey, Vyse!"

"Hey, Natalya!" Vyse greeted back the Bar Tender, "I brought in some business for you." As Vyse walked in, the Straw Hats came through, "We'll take a Keg of your finest Loqua."

"Right away!"

As the crews had their drinks, A Large Man carrying a Cannon Club and wearing Blue Armor came in.

"Hey, beautiful!"

Natalya turned around from cleaning some mugs, "Oh, it's you again. What do you want?"

"That voice..." Aika thought to herself, "why do I feel queasy all of a sudden?"

"I'll take a Barrel of your Finest Loqua, and maybe you back to my place."

"No on both accounts. I just gave the last of my Finest to Vyse."

"VYSE!?"

Vyse turned around and recognized it was the once Admiral Vigoro, now a Pirate.

"I've been training all year since our last battle, and was going to come to your island base tomorrow for a rematch, but since your here."

"I don't fight In Town. Sit, have a drink, and we'll fight later."

Vigoro looked over at Aika, "well, alright," he said with lust in his eyes.

As the Tavern Partied, Luffy spoke to Vyse, "Say, you mind if we have this one?"

"Fight Vigoro? Why?"

"Well, you're treating us to dinner, it's only fair to treat you to a show," Luffy gave Vyse a smile.

"I don't know...he wants to fight me because he loves Aika."

"Doesn't he know you guys are married?"

"If he does, he doesn't care," Vyse looked over, surprised to see Vigoro was no where near Aika. Vyse and Luffy looked around the Tavern. They eventually saw him drooling over Nami with Sanji.

"Typical" The Captains said.

Later, when they got back to the Delphinus for their Battle, Vigoro made a bet, "If I win, I want the pretty red head," Pointing to Nami. Luffy and Zoro held back Nami and Sanji from saying anything

"You don't want Aika if we lose?" Vyse said, a little surprised.

"I found out she married you. It's pointless for me to go after her now."

"Well in that case, I'm not the one to talk to. She belongs to the Straw Hat Pirates. You'll want to speak with Captain Luffy."

"Yosh!"

"I assume you're that captain. What are you, Vyse's Twin?"

"I'm Luffy, pleased to meet cha!"

"Um, yeah, sure. Vigoro, Lady Chasing Pirate."

"So this is like a Davy Back Fight?"

"A what?"

"A Davy Back Fight," Zoro stepped in, "where we come from is a battle for other crew members with fellow pirates. We win, we get one of your crew. You win, you get one of ours."

"Huh, never heard of that, but sounds like a fun Idea. Luffy, I accept your challenge."

"Alright!" Vyse announced, "Clear the Deck, the Battle between Luffy and Vigoro will start!"

"Sanji," Luffy corrected.

"What!?" almost everyone said at once.

"I want to see Sanji beat this guy's ass."

"Okay, Captain." Sanji stepped forward.

"And what's your position? Gunner? Helmsman? Vie Captain?"

"I am a Cook."

"A Cook!? Taking that beautiful woman is going to be easy!"

the door just closed behind Sanji, signaling the fight was starting. With Fire in his eyes, Sanji jumped forward, "Jyare! Cuisseau!" in just a couple of seconds, Sanji did an Upward Kick to Vigoro's Shank, and then kicked his thigh. Vigoro fell over.

"What...the hell?" Vigoro said, catching his breath.

"I may be a cook, but I fight very well. And I'm going to be even tougher to beat just knowing the fact that if I lose, I lose Nami-swan. You're not taking Nami Anywhere you Shitty Bastard!" Sanji started spinning around on one leg at high speeds, creating the friction need to make his leg catch fire for his Diamble Jamble. As he spun around, Vigoro got up. He set up his club so it extended into Cannon Mode.

"TAKE THIS!" Vigoro shot a massive Fire Boulder out of his Cannon towards Sanji's Torso. Even spinning at high speeds, Sanji could see it coming. Sanji then switched legs just as his left foot caught fire.

"DIAMBLE JAMBLE!" Sanji yelled as he hit the boulder and repelled it right back at Vigoro. Caught completely off guard by this, Vigoro took the Boulder full blast. Sanji had hit it much harder then the gun powder, so it was going at least twice as fast. Vigoro's armor completely shattered under the impact, and he had dropped his weapon. With one swift kick, Sanji broke the Cannon Club and put his leg out, leaving his cloths unburned.

"Was the meal too spicy for you?"

"I'm...*cough* Not Done *hack* Yet!"

"No more orders, we're done for the day."

Sanji turned and started back inside.

"If I lost, doesn't that mean you get one of my crew members?"

"You're the only one, aren't you?"

"Heh, yeah."

"Luffy's a crazy guy. We did a Davy Back Fight once and got 497 men. He gave them one order and dismissed them."

"What was that order?"

"Follow your passion."

With those last words, Sanji walked inside. Vigoro picked up the pieces of his weapon and armor and left.

"Crazy? Maybe. Wise? I don't know. But I know this, I'll be back."


	8. Chapter 8

(Sec 27) * * * * *

The preparations had been made on the Delphinus, but Vyse wanted to rest for the day, and start sailing again tomorrow. As the two crews wandered around the town, Marco and his Yellow Dragon was sailing to where the Dark Rift once was. As they sailed past Esperanza, he saw the Delphinus. 'Good,' Marco thought, 'so they didn't disappear with the Rift.' "Commander, dock at Esperanza, please."

"Yes, Sir!"

After they landed, Marco went into town to look for his Emperor. He eventually found Enrique with Moegi, Vyse, and another guy dressed liked Vyse. 'Must be that Vize guy I heard about...'

"Enrique!" Marco shouted, making his way through the crowded town, "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"Marco? What are you doing here?" Enrique asked.

"I had heard news of the Dark Rift disappearing shortly after you left. I was worried you and the rest had disappeared with it."

"Well," Vyse started, "we sorta did."

"What?"

"It's a long story," Enrique said, "We'll explain later."

"Alright," Marco said, still a little confused, "But I have to warn you. Baltor is back. I ran into him in Maramba earlier today on my way here."

"You weren't able to catch him?" Enrique asked.

"I was working on it, but one of his men got a back shot on me. I would have pursued, but before I could get onto my ship they fired several rounds of cannons at it, so we had to repair. He headed off this way, but we lost site of him when he passed Cape Victory."

"Sounded like a victory for him," Luffy said with a laugh.

"Who are you? Vyse, is this that Vize guy again?"

"Oh, no. This is Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. The reason he looks like me at the moment is he somehow shredded his cloths and needed spares."

"Ah. I'm glad to find you're alright Enrique. Would you like me to pursue Baltor, or would you like me to take you an Moegi back to Valua?"

"I do need to get some work done," Enrique turned to Vyse, "I guess this is good-bye again."

"Not for long. I plan on stopping by Valua before I leave to see if we can get a few more crew members."

"You know, that little wooden ship of yours doesn't need many more crew members. How about you keep the Delphinus for a while?"

"Seriously!?" Vyse broke out a smile, "But with our worlds joining together, aren't you worried about other countries attacking you?"

"Not too much. The Repairs on the Valuan Gate are nearly complete due to Ishmael's Building skills, and we Have not only the Valuan Armada, but the other Battle squadrons around the world to back us up."

"Well then, The Delhinus is mine again for now. I'll take good care of it."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Vyse. Farewell for now."

Enrique, Moegi, and Marco left, leaving Vyse and Luffy alone.

"So, what do we do now?" Luffy asked.

"Well, the sun is up high enough that we can make it to Maramba to pick up someone, and still have enough time to get to Nasard and let Rupee and Barta get back to the palace, where we can have a place to rest for tonight."

"Sounds Good," Luffy said, "but how are going to find everyone in this crowd?"

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Just follow my Lead. BLUE ROUGES! Back To The Ship!"

"is that seriously all it takes?"

"This town may be crowded, but it's a small town."

Luffy smiled, "I have my own way." Luffy looked around and found a nice tall pole. "GUM GUM...ROCKET!" As Luffy launched himself in the air, he looked down on the town. He found everyone pretty easily, Zoro's, Nami's, and Sanji's hair were all bright colors, and Chopper's and Robin's hats weren't exactly unnoticeable. Luffy stretched out an arm and grabbed Zoro's shoulder. Zoro saw the hand, 'Oh No, Not AGAIN!' Luffy crashed right into Zoro, making an impression on the stone wall behind the Outdoor Weapons Shop.

"DAMN IT , LUFFY! You have GOT to stop doing that!"

Luffy stood up an brushed a few rocks off him, "We're going, the others are that way," Luffy pointed to the Book Store, "I'll meet you at the ship. GUM GUM...ROCKET!" Luffy had launched himself back to where Vyse was.

A few of the bystanders started asking what the hell happened.

"Oh, he's a Rubber Man, nothing special," Zoro got up and headed to where Luffy pointed. The people that saw what happened just stared in the direction Luffy went, unsure of exactly what just happened.

A while later, since Zoro got lost, everyone was back on the Delphinus, and started leaving.

"Next stop," Vyse announced, "Maramba!"

(Sec 28) * * * * *

The Delphinus was just passing Cape Victory, when all of a sudden the ship shook violently.

"What the hell!?" Vyse yelled, getting the ship steady again.

"CAPTAIN!" Domingo called through the intercom system, "The Black Beard II is right behind us! They came from underneath the clouds!"

"Oh, so he's gotten an engine uograde, has he? BLUE ROUGES! Battle Stations!"

Zoro and Sanji went and joined Khazim at the Cannons. Nami and Robin went up to the Crows Nest to see if they could help with the battle using their long range abilities. Chopper was running in circles panicking, while Luffy went out on Deck. Jones was no where to be found.

Vyse tried to get the ship into position, but Baltor and his Upgraded ship was too fast now. The Delphinus was taking heavy hits. Pinta and Brabham were doing all they could to keep the ship holding upright. Nami's Thunder Storms weren't big enough to phase the Black Beard II, and Robin was too far away to be able to use her powers.

"Damn. We can't get to them," Vyse kept trying to get the ship around, but the engines couldn't take anymore damage. The ship came to a halt.

"HA HA!" Baltor said triumphantly, "Time To Board them!"

Baltor came onto the Delphinus first. Luffy was already there.

"So, Vyse, come to surrender?"

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy," Luffy said in an angry tone.

"What? You changed your name?"

"No, Vyse let me borrow a set of clothes when mine were destroyed. I'm here to take you out."

"Oh REALLY?" Baltor said as he brought out some large guns, "And how you gonna do that, unarmed?"

"I don't need a weapon to beat you."

Baltor's men that came onto the Delphinus ha gotten back onto the Black Beard II, knowing how Trigger Happy the Captain gets.

"That a Fact?" Baltor pulled the triggers of his two guns, launching a couple of miniature cannon balls at Luffy. As the hit Luffy, his Power came into play.

"Guns have no effect on me." Luffy said, smiling. The Bullets launched back at Baltor. The first just bearly touched his ear. It was still intact, no skin missing, but that has GOT to have been the scariest whistle he ever heard. The second one not only took off his hat, but now he was sporting a nicely done Hawk-Mo.

"What...What...What the Hell ARE you!?"

"I'm a Rubber Man," Luffy said, taking a finger a stretching one side of his mouth, "See?"

"No Matter, I'll still be taking you down."

Luffy rushed up to Baltor, "GUM...GUM...," Luffy stretched his arms back and started imitating his Gattling Gun Technique, with none of the punches actually hitting Baltor.

"And...what the hell is this? You're not even touching me."

"CANNON!" At that point, every punch that Luffy just threw hit Baltor all at once, sending him threw his own ship, and still flying, eventually making a 4 foot deep hole in the side of Cape Victory.

"H-hey! He can't do that to our captain!" Said, we assume was, the Vice Captain, "You two, go get him, the rest, get that kid!"

Twenty of Baltor's Men jumped onto the Delphinus and charged Luffy with swords. As they all came down at once, Zoro came out of nowhere and blocked every last one of them.

"Started the party with out me?"

"H-h-how is he doing this!?" said one of the twenty.

"If even one of you move another inch closer, you all die...woah, deja-vu."

"I said GET HIM!"

Sanji jumped onto the deck of the Black Beard II, "So, who's Order will I be taking first?" The rest of the Black Beard Pirates charged Sanji, "Alright then. Shoulder Shank Crank, Pulled Pork Pound, Turnover Kick, Gut Stuffer Surprise, Open-Faced Stamwich, Leg O' Wham Supreme." More men came after Sanji, "Okay, time to rap this up." Sanji jumped into the air, grabbed one guys face, and did a hand stand, "Party Table Dance!" After Sanji gave a few knocks, "Time for Dessert, Double Layer Cake Kick!" and nailed the Vice Captain in the back of the head. "Hey, Marimo Head, you gonna finish those guys or what?"

"I'm waiting to see how long it'll take for one to move......Forget it. One Hundred Eight Pound CANNON!" Zoro sent the last 20 men flying back onto their ship.

"GUM GUM," Luffy started putting his arms back and ran toward the Black Beard II, "BAZOOOOOOOOKA!!" Luffy brought his arm forward, sending Baltor's ship flying towards Cape Victory. The two men that went to grab Baltor were just getting him out of the hole when they saw the ship coming. Baltor came to.

"What...THE HELL!?" Baltor's Prize ship had smashed into tiny bits and pieces as it crashed into Cape Victory. Pinta and Brabham had just finished making the necessary repairs, and the ship started up again. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji came back to the bridge.

"H-o-l-y MOLEY! That was Insane!" Vyse said, just taking in what just happened.

Luffy laughed, "That's how our adventures usually go."

Now with the ship going again, they continued to Maramba.


	9. Chapter 9

(Sec 29) * * * * *

As the Delphinus docked at Maramba Port, Vyse turned to Luffy, "We won't be here too long. We only have one old friend here to see if they'd like to re-join. Do you mind staying here?"

"Yosh. I'll start looking for Mystery Ossan."

"Mystery Ossan?"

"I believe that's his nick name for Davy Jones," Chopper explained.

"Ah. Alright, Aika, Fina and I won't be too long."

As Vyse and the others arrived at the Tavern, they were quite surprised at how empty it was. The only people there were the Bar Keep and Merida, both of which were sitting doing nothing. Merida looked up when Vyse and the others as they walked in, and she brightened up.

"Vyse!"

"Merida, good to see you."

"How have you all been?"

"Well, since the wedding, things have been kinda slow."

"It's been slow here, too. All the sailors that used to come here are all off exploring the new lands since the South Ocean calmed down."

"That's a shame."

"I wish I could come back and be a part of the Blue Rouges."

"Funny you should mention that," Aika said.

"We were coming here hoping you'd like to re-join," Fina stated.

"REALLY!?"

Vyse gave a nod.

"YEAH! I've started to miss the days of sailing with you. OH! I have a friend that seems to really liked the sound of your adventures. Do you mind if she came along."

"Um, sure. But shouldn't you introduce us first?"

"HEY!" The Bar Keep said, "How about giving me some business and buying a drink."

Vyse turned to Aika and Fina, "One quick drink?"

"Sure."

So they finished their drinks and went of to Merida's Apartment to meet her friend.

"Syre? I have a few people I'd like you to meet."

A woman came to the door. She was about 5"3', had shoulder-length black hair, cat ears tail(also black, but a bit brighter than her hair), small demon wings, and wore glasses, with blue-green eyes behind them, a black scarf, a red belly T-shirt and a 3/4 Jeans.

Syre saw Vyse and went hysterical, "OhMyGosh!" She flung the door open all the way and zoomed out, giving Merida a tight hug, "EEEEE! Vyse!My-Name-Is-Syreren-But-You-Can-Call-Me-Syre!I-Really-Like-How-Awesome-Your-Adventures-Sounded!Can-I-Join-Your-Crew!?I-Use-Daggers-And-Can-Bite-My-Enemies!Whatever-Positions-You-Have-Opened-I'll-Take!But-I'm-Really-Clumsy!Can-I-Join-Your-Crew!?Can-I!?Can-I!?Can-I!?"

Vyse, Aika and Fina just stood there a moment as Syreren was flying circles around them and talking a mile a minute. Merida held her hand up, and when the opportunity presented itself, grabbed Syreren's Tail, who let out a yelp of pain and surprise as she fell hitting her bottom on the floor. As she stood up she rubbed her behind, "I told you I don't like it when you grab my tail," Syreren said in a slightly whiny voice.

"You were talking so fast Vyse couldn't here what you were saying."

Syreren blinked a couple of times and turned to Vyse, "EEEE!"

Merida grabbed Syreren's ear before she could repeat exactly what she just did.

"Ah! Okay, okay, I'll try to be calm about it." Syreren was able to tell Vyse calmly of what she would be able to do as one of his crew members.

"There, was that so hard?" Merida asked.

"Yes, but it was worth it," Syreren turned to Vyse, "Can I Join!?"

"Alright, But what position would you like?"

"Um...I'm really good at cleaning things. And with my wings I can reach hard to get places."

"Are you okay with being a Deck Hand?"

"EEEEE!"

"Okay! Okay, you can join."

Syreren gave Vyse a Vice Grip of a hug before zooming back into the apartment and coming back out a couple minutes later with a few suitcases which had all of her and Merida's stuff. Syreren was also wearing Black Combat Boots and a Broad Belt with two bags where her daggers were. She gave one Bag to Merida before she zoomed off, checked out of the Inn, and went to the docks where she found the Delphinus.

By the time Vyse and the other three caught up, the ship was practically blinding them from how shiny it looked. Vyse went up to the bridge while Aika and Fina took Merida to where she'd be sleeping. When Vyse stepped in, He saw Syreren Vice Hugging Chopper.

"He's such a cute Tanuki!"

"I'm not a Tanuki! I'm a Reindeer! Let me Go!"

"Alright, I guess you all know Syreren now. Off To Nasard!"

(Sec 30) * * * * *

Nasard was back to the way it once was over a year ago. The Docks weren't only rebuilt, but had been expanded now that there were two more countries conducting Trades. The Main Attraction now would be "Vize and Crew Look A Likes Show", which had a lot more members that looked like Vyse's Crew, and were doing Weekly Shows imitating the Adventure's Vyse had written about.

"Are we Going to be able to see the show!?" Luffy and Syre asked.

"Of course," Vyse replied, "We'll be staying the night in this city. The show starts at later, so how about we look around town?"

"Well, well, well," a Familiar Voice said, "If it isn't our Favorite Captain."

Vyse turned around. Just as he figured, Vize had found him, and in record Time, too.

"Hey, Vize, How's been business?"

"Running very nicely. Osman was kind enough to finance everything relating to your show, since people don't seem to be getting sick of your amazing adventures."

"...Osman...is paying for everything?" Vyse questioned, "That doesn't sound like her..."

"Well, she gets 30% of all the profit."

"That still doesn't sound right."

"OKAY! 45%."

"That sounds more like it. Say, you think you'd be able to score extra tickets for me, my crew, and my new friends?"

"Extra Tickets? No problem. After all, We wouldn't be doing so well if you didn't give us a detailed copy of your adventures. So, who's Dopleganger Number Two?" Vize asked, turning to Luffy.

"I'm Luffy, Pleased to meet Cha!"

"He's Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. He needed some spare cloths after an accident with my sword closet."

"HaHa! I want a copy of that later."

"We'll see," Vyse said with a laugh.

"Here's your Tickets, show starts in four hours. We just finished your story again, so we'll be at the beginning tonight, unless you want to put on a special Show Tonight?"

"You mean do a Battle?"

"I don't see why not, plus, I'd be able to sell more tickets if this is a one time show."

"It's a deal," Vyse held out his hand for a shake. Vize shook it.

"Alright, I'll go let Osman know what's going on and start selling like mad," and with that, Vize ran off with the special news.

Vyse and Luffy went to see if Osman was going to be joining the crew. When the reached Osman's Business, it was bustling with activity. Merchants from all over the world were trying to get in to see if they'd be able to join Osman's Trade. Seeing as time wasn't of the essence, they waited for their turn. Eventually, Vyse and Luffy were able to meet with Osman.

"And what can I do for...VYSE!?" Osman asked very surprised.

"Osman?" Vyse asked.

Apparently, the last year had been very good to Osman. She had lost a LOT of weight and was now not only slim, but had a very gracious and curvy figure.

"What Ca I do for the Great King of the Blue Rouges?" Osman asked, anticipating a great deal coming her way.

"I was coming by to see how things were going, very well, I'm guessing from the crowds?"

"OH, Very Well, Indeed."

"So I'm guessing re-joining my crew would be out of the question?"

"I'm afraid so, but it was nice of you to drop by."

"well, at least let me sell something to you."

"Sell?"

"I have quite a few Black Maps and MoonBerries that I have no purpose to keep."

"Black Maps aren't worth all that much, but Moon Berries!? Those are rare!"

"I have quite a stash made up."

"Well let me see!" Vyse brought out a big bag filled with about a thousand or so Moon Berries. "Oh MY!" Osman tried one, "These are the real deal! And these aren't like the ones I've had before. I'll give you 100 Gold for each one."

"I could get a better price somewhere else," Vyse said with a smug look.

"Ohhhh...500 Each!"

"Hmmm...I don't know..."

"750 A Piece!"

"Deal! There were exactly 1001 in that bag. The first was free. So let me see...That will be 750,000 gold please."

"Vyse, you sly dog. I'd only go up that high for you," Osman said as she went over to her vault to retrieve the money.

"You'll get your money back at some point. After all, I will be helping Vize do a Once In A Life Time Show tonight."

"Sigh, I suppose you're right. Here's your Money," she put three bags down, "Each one has 250,000 gold pieces in it. That better be one hell of a show!"

"Don't you worry about that. Pleasure doing Business with you" Vyse said as he picked up two of the heavy bags, Luffy picking up the third. 'Wow,' Vyse thought to himself, 'No wonder she was able to get into shape, these things can be quite a workout.'

By the time Luffy and Vyse put the new loot onto the ship, it was just about time for the show.

"So, you want me to take this fight?" Luffy said with a grin.

"We'll see what the audience wants."

Luffy and Vyse were able to meet up with the others and give them their tickets(which were all Front Row Seats)."LADIES AND GENTALMEN!" Osman said with a loud Voice into the Microphone, "Thank you for joining us tonight! We have a VERY special show tonight! Instead of our usual performance in which Vize and his crew of Duplicates act out Vyse's Adventures, Vize shall be doing Battle against either Vyse, or one of his crew members or friends, since they have joined us tonight!"

There was Ooh's, Aah's, and Roars from the crowd as Vize walked on stage and had the mic handed to him.

"Thank You! Thank You! Yes, you heard right, this is a Once in a Lifetime Performance! Vyse has brought some Pirate Friends of his known as the Straw Hat Pirates! Now will Members from Both Crews Please Stand and come on Stage on who wants to fight me!?"

Vyse, Khazim, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all stood and walked onto the stage.

"So, we all know Captain Vyse. Khazim the Gunner was one of our countries protectors! So lets take a look at these three!" Vize walked over to Luffy, "Now, who are you? Tell us about yourself."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hats, and I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"

"OH, such a bold statement to make. And you, good sir?" holding the mic to Zoro.

"I am Roanola Zoro. I am a Master of Sintaru, a Three Sword Style, and will one day be the best swordsman in the world."

"Wow, we got guys with big dreams tonight! And you...sir, no smoking in the building, please?"

Sanji put out his cigarette, but kept it in his mouth, "Sorry about that. Force of habit. I am Sanji, the Cook of the crew. I fight with my legs, because if I do anything to my hands, I lose my great cooking. My dream is to one day find the sea which holds all the fish from the four corners of the Globe, and set up a restaurant."

"That's very interesting! ALRIGHT! Now then, my guests, who will be fighting me tonight?"

There was a loud rawr of the five names being yelled out, making it very difficult to hear who was supposed to be chosen. Vize eventually figured who had one.

"Tonight...I shall be fighting...ROANOLA ZORO!"

Another loud rawr erupted from the crowd, "The four of you may go back to your seats and enjoy the show!"


	10. Chapter 10

(Sec 31) * * * * *

"You sure you want to take me on?" Zoro asked as he stood there, arms crossed.

"I can take you on," Vize said as he drew his Blades, which looked very similar to Vyse's Vlorik Blades.

Zoro took his White T-shirt off, "This scar," He pointed to the long stream of stitches on his torso, "was given to me by the best swordsman in the world. By all means, it should have killed me, but yet here I still stand. On that day, I vowed that I would never lose another sword fight again."

"I see. Looks like I get to break your vow."

Zoro slowly drew his three swords, putting his White Wado in his mouth, "I am a man of my word, and I will not lose this battle."

Vize rushed in a tried to pull of his 'Cutlass Wrath' Technique, but Zoro stepped to the side, "Crab Grab," Zoro placed his two swords so that he sent Vize upwards, "Dragon Twister," Zoro took his stance and spun so a tornado launched Vize further upwards, "Bull Charge," Zoro ran in the direction Vize was falling towards and started rabidly stabbing, hitting Vize a good 20 times before he stopped, jumped back and stood, swords at his sides.

Vize got up, "Heh, not bad, but now it's my turn," Vize crossed his swords into a 'plus', "Illusionist!" Vize then 'separated' himself to look like there were ten of him surrounding Zoro.

"Nice Trick, but you're going to have to do better then that," as he finished his sentence, nine of the Vize Clones rushed him, "Tiger Trap," Zoro made a dome of slices, which went through all of the Vizes, "figures the real one stood back," Zoro ran strait at Vize, "Triple Sword Rising Phoenix," and sliced through Vize, only nothing happened to him. "What?"

"Behold...Actor's Fury!" Vize then came from Zoro's Left, hitting him with a duplicated move of Vyse's 'Pirate's Wrath'

'Damn, he caught me off guard,' Zoro though to himself, 'I should have used that breathing technique I learned when fighting Mr. 1.'

Vize stood in a protective stance, "I dare ya! Revenge!"

Zoro walked over to Vize, who was ready for almost anything. As Zoro got closer, he started doing some sort of dance and just passed right by Vize, "Streaming Wolf Swords," and with that, Vize fell, felling the devastation of the attack moments after it had hit him.

Vize got up and got as far away from Zoro as possible, "Illusionist!" again, Vize separated himself into 10 clones.

"That again? I know your trick and won't be making the same mistake twice."

The 10 Vize Clones crossed their swords into an 'X', "Dance of the Lightning Blades!" All their swords were charged with electrical energy, so they started throwing their cuts through the air.

"Deadly Nine Sword Style: Asura Ichibugin," Zoro then looked like he had three heads and six arms, with a total of nine blades, each one drawing the lighting towards them, "Breath of the Sword," Zoro concentrated, trying to find which one was the real Vize. It was the one behind him and to his left, "Three Sword Style Succession Technique: NINE," Zoro disappeared, appearing again behind the real Vize and slicing through him with nine swords, "THOUSAND," Zoro did a pivot step and went through Vize again, "REALMS!" He sliced through Vize with his Nine Blades again. Zoro went back to his normal self, sheathed his three blades, and turned around and stared strait into Vize's eyes, who hadn't felt the full attack yet, "I told you I wouldn't lose a sword fight," as soon as he finished, Vize felt the deadly force of the 27 blades hitting him at once, making him drop his blades, and fall backwards, breathing heavily.

"I applaud you, Roanola Zoro," Vize fainted from the pain. Osman, Anita and Fiana ran out on stage.

"Don't worry, he'll live," Zoro said as Anita and Fiana took Vize off stage.

"That was a Spectacular Performance, Mr. Zoro, but what did the audience think?"

There was a loud roar of cheers and applause, "I think it's safe to say you all enjoyed it! But since our Star has been taken care of at the moment, we shall be closed for 3 days while he recovers, But Please, do come back again!"

Zoro rejoined the rest of the two crews, "lets head back. I need to get some sleep."

"Yeah, that's probably best," Vyse said, "Tomorrow we'll be sailing from here to Yafutoma and then continue to Ixa'taka, where we'll stop for the day."

"Yosh! I really like this place!" Luffy said with a big grin.

(Sec 32) * * * * *

The next day, everyone was ready to go and headed for the docks. When they arrived at the Delphinus, there was a woman, about 17, standing at the entrance to the ship. She had Long Black Hair, Green Eyes, Wore Black Tube Top with Blue Jean Shorts that were tattered at the bottom, Black Gloves, and Small Gold Hoop Hearings.

"I heard you were in town, and by the sounds of it, you're looking for more crew members."

"Um, yeah," Vyse said, "And you would be...?"

"My name is FireFox Sakurai. I'm a really good Gunner."

"Khazim, you have any objections to having another Gunner in the crew?"

"I'd be nice to have another trainee under my supervision," he said with a smile.

"Alright, the rest of you can go along, Aika and I will stay here for a moment."

The others went on the ship and got things ready to sail.

"So what can you do, Combat wise?" Aika asked.

"I can manipulate fire," she said as she put her palm out with a small fireball and making it dance around a little bit.

"And your previous experience?" Vyse asked.

"I used to work for hire for several Black Pirates, but they were all big jerks in the end, so I've been trying to join the Blue Rouges, and your crew seems to be the most interesting."

"Alright, you're in. Khazim will start giving you a tour once we set sail."

Once they were ready to go, they went East by Northeast, since the Dark Rift was no longer a barrier, but even if it was, Brabham had tuned up the engine so they were able to fly above the clouds. Not much happened long the way, which was a nice change of pace after the last few days. Domingo, Jao and Mao went back to the Palace and Vyse took off again, deciding to take a detour to Tenkou Island to check on the Evil Advisor and his Son. They had the Island visible on the Horizon when Vyse saw The Roc off to the right.

"That's odd," Vyse said.

"What?" Luffy got up off the floor to stand next to Vyse.

"Roc's don't normally come this far away from their nests, which are just North of the Ixa'takan Continent," Vyse adjusted his Eyepatch to get a closer look, "It seems to be chasing something," he focused it a little more, "It's some sort of Bird Person!"

"No Way!" Luffy said as he squinted his eyes and held a hand over his head.

Vyse turned the ship, "Looks like we're having Fried Chicken tonight!"

"YEAH!" Syre said.

"As long as I get to cook it," Sanji said.

As they got closer, Vyse could see the Bird Creature was using a Sword and firing some strange Magic Attacks at the Roc.

"Luffy, I want you to get on Deck and bring that Person out of the way. You're finally going to see the Moon Stone Cannon in Action"

"YOSH!" Luffy ran down towards the Deck, "GUM...GUM...," Luffy stretched both his arms back a little bit, and then shot them forward, "ROCKET!" The Bird Person was concentrating so much on the Roc, she didn't even notice a couple of arms wrapping around her waist. When she looked down, she was pulled back, crashing into Luffy.

"What the!? Who are you?"

"I'm Luffy, Pleased to meet cha!"

The doors on the front of the Delphinus opened, and once again ejected the Large Cannon Vyse had shown the Straw Hats once before, "Moon Stone Cannon!...FIRE!" The force of the Blast was so massive, the ship went back a little bit. Vyse looked at where the blast was hitting, "YES! Direct Hit! Brabham, get out the new claw and real that Bird in."

"Eye, Eye!"

After a little sailing, they were able to land on Ryuguu Island(about midway between Tenkou and Yafutoma). While Sanji and Urala were expecting the Roc to find the Best(and not burnt) parts of the meat, which allowed Vyse to talk to the Bird Woman they had rescued.

She had Light Purple Feathers, Magenta Hair, and had Yellow and Blue Wings and a Blue Fan Tail. She wore a Red Head Band, a Dark Purple Tank Top with a Red Scarf, and a 3/4 Blue Skirt, with Red Boots.

"Hello, I'm Vyse. Are you doing alright?"

"I'm fine. I was handling that thing pretty well by myself."

"Sorry, We were in the area, so we'd thought we'd help."

"So what's your name?" Fina asked.

"I am known as Confala Hunterosa."

"Hmm..." Vyse said to himself.

"I've never seen someone like you before, where do yo come from?" Aika asked.

"I come from the Blue Moon,"

"The Blue Moon? Seriously!?" Vyse asked, rather surprised.

"Yes. I'm one of the few who came to Arcadia. Those of us that Live on the Moons believe to be Guardians of these Skies. From the Shape Shifters on the Silver, to the Beasts of the Black."

"You said your name was Confala Hunterosa, right?" Vyse asked.

"Yes."

"I think I've herd of you."

"What?" Aika and Fina asked.

"She was a Lone Blue Rouge way back in the days of old, before the Moon Crystals, but disappeared after the Gigas came. I have an old book of Myths and Legends that I got as a 5th birthday present."

"This can't be her, she'd be ancient."

"Well, we Blue Phoenixes are immortal."

"It be true, they are," Jones said, appearing after no one had seen him since Esperanza.

"Where the Heck have YOU been?" Aika asked.

"What? I'm not bound to the crew, so I can come and go as I please. I went back to Daccat's Island for some down time. I just came back to check to see how you guys were doing."

"You...seem familiar," Confala said.

"Well I should hope so. I tried to help you take Bluehim down on his debut of destruction."

"...Jones D. Davy?"

"Jones be fine."

"But how?"

"It be a short story, Magic. But yours be a more important one to cover. Now, back in the Day your worlds were just separated, I'd say a good 2 or 3 decades in, I got the Copy Copy Fruit Powers, and was able to warp back and forth between the two worlds, as well as a few others. Daccat and I were trying to join forces to take out these New weapons known as Gigas. There were Creatures on each Moon who thought it was their responsibility to try and stop us Humans from destroying each other. The only humans who knew of these Moon Creatures were the Silivites an the Apocos. While Bluehim was on a Rampage since the Emperor of Yafutoma was knocked out from Cannon Fire, The Blue Phoenixes were trying to take him down, but he was too powerful. Daccat and I didn't have much luck stopping him either. We tried teaming up, but that went just as badly. We're not sure how the Silivites were able to do it, but they managed to. NOW all the Yafutomans were scared of the Blue Phoenixes, so all but Confala left. She took the Blue Moon Crystal and took it to the Bottom of Mount Kazai and went into a deep Hibernation, and awoke when Bluehim Crashed into the Mountain, allowing her to not be feared any longer. That clear up everything?"

"Just about," Confala said, "except how you knew all that?"

"I've gotten more powerful since we last met. Now, if you'll excuse me," A door appeared out of nowhere, which Luffy and Sanji recognized as the Door Door Power, "I ave other places to be," and he disappeared.

After an awkward silence and having a chance to absorb the information, Confala started talking again, "So, you were the ones who took out Bluehim?"

"Yep. That was a tough fight to try and figure out that thins attack patterns."

"Well then, I guess I owe you my Life for that. If you need another crew member, I know how to fire a Cannon pretty accurately."

"Well...I guess having three gunners wouldn't be to shabby."

"Another Gunner!?" Khazim said with a laugh, "I think we're at our limit now, we only have Five Cannons and Two were able to handle that quite easily."

"Okay, Confala, You're our second gunner today. Welcome aboard!"

"Lunch will be ready soon," Urala said, "Sanji and I got all the good meat we could off th Roc."

(Sec 33) * * * * *

Deciding Tenkou Island wasn't all that important, they headed strait Southeast towards Ixa'Taka, and stopped in Horteka, where they Visited with Centime(who made Horteka his base of Operations), and went to find Tikatika.

"Vyse! My eyes may be good, but even I could not see your visit coming."

"Haha! It's good to see you to. How's life been?"

"It has been very well. Since I left your crew, I now have a Wife and have adopted 9 Children, and my new wife just recently gave birth to twins!"

"Wow, you've been a busy man. With all those kids, I guess that having you re-join the crew is out of the question?"

"I am afraid so, Great Captain. BUT that does not mean we cannot celebrate this joyous reunion."

That Night, there was yet another party.

(Sec 34) * * * * *

The next day, the Crews went sailing towards Sailor's Island to pay a Visit to Doc, Maria and Piastol.

"Vyse, it's nice to see you again."

"Vyse!" Maria shouted as she ran out from her room and gave Vyse and Aika a hug.

"Aww, It's good to see you too, Maria" Aika said.

"Well, we meet again, Blue Rouges," Piastol said. She had finally got rid of the ridiculous costume of The Angel Of Death and was now wearing a a Black Dress with White Trim that had a hint of Light Blue Highlights.

"Piastol, Nice to see you found your sister."

"Yes, I am truly grateful that you have reunited me with the only family that I have left."

"So what can we do you for today, Vyse?" Doc Asked.

"Well, I was kind wondering if all of you would like to join my crew."

"You're going to that 'Grand Line' I've been hearing about?"

"Ah, so the word is getting out. Yeah, we could use a doctor on our ship."

"I don't know Vyse. I'm kinda worried about Maria here. She's only 7 years old."

"Oh, Uncle Doc, can't we go?"

"Gah...you know I can't refuse anything you ask when you call me Uncle."

"I know!" Maria said with a bright smile.

"Besides, Uncle, I have some battle experience. I can more then be able to protect her should any danger come our way."

"Sigh, alright, Vyse, I guess we're joining."

"Alright! There should be enough room in the Cargo Bay for your ship to be docked until we get back to Crescent Isle."

"Gasp! We get to see your home!?" Maria said, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Yup."

"YEAAAAAAAAAAH!" Maria was running airplane circles around Vyse, Aika, and Fina until she ran back into her room to pack.

"This ought to be funny," Piastol said, "After battling against you so many times it'll be weird fighting along side you."

"As long as you don't actually attack any of us, I think we'll be fine."

"So, what's this Grand Line look like?" Doc asked.

"You'll get a chance to see tomorrow afternoon. We're going to stop in Valua for a couple of people and then rest at Crescent Isle for the night."

"Alright, I guess we can handle that," Doc then turned, and walked back to his room to start his packing.

When everything was ready to go, Maria went strait to the bridge. After seeing all the cool things that were there, she noticed Chopper and walked slowly over to him.

"Um...Hi," She said, still being a little shy.

"Hm?" Chopper said, looking up from his medical books, "Oh, hello. You must be one of the new crew members for Vyse."

"Yes. Are you with Mr. Vyse?"

"No. I'm traveling with the Straw Hat Pirates. We tagged along with Vyse to get a good look at his world before we continued sailing on the Grand Line."

Maria couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed Chopper, giving him a hug, "You're soft" Maria said with a smile, "You remind me of Picclo."

"Picclo?" Chopper said, trying to get out of her grip.

"He's a Moon Hamachu, but he grew up and went back to his home to be with his friends. I miss him, but after he left, my sister came back, so I haven't been lonely. Now I get to sail all over the world with friends! I'm so happy."

"...Can you let go of me now?...Please."

"Oh, sorry," after a pause, she looked down at what Chopper was doing, "Are those Medical Books?"

"Yeah, I'm a Doctor."

"My Uncle Doc is a doctor to!"

"Really? Perhaps he and I can switch notes later."

Elsewhere on the Ship, Piastol was getting to know the rest of the Two Crews.

After meeting most of Vyse's Crew and almost all of the Straw Hats, she wandered into the Library, where she ran into Robin.

"Hello," Piastol said.

"Hi there."

"I'm Piastol, the newest member of the Blue Rouges."

"I'm the Archaeologist of the Straw Hats."

"So is it true?"

"What?"

"About what happened to you."

"You mean my Home island?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, it is true, unfortunately."

"How were you able to deal with losing everyone you loved?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because...I believe I'm still having trouble dealing with the loss of my Parents. If I lost my sister Maria again, I don't know what I'd do."

"I was able to deal with it by following the wise words of a good friend of mine. 'No one was brought into this world to be alone'. With Vyse as your Captain, I believe you should have no worries about your sister. From the stories I've heard, Vyse would gladly do anything to keep his crew safe."

"I still find it hard to trust him."

"Oh?"

"Well, the last 8 years, I believed he attacked my ship and set it ablaze. But even though he's told me time and time again that he didn't do it, I never believed him. Even if he didn't do it, then who did? There were no other ships in the area to attack us, and every Soldier died on the ship."

"I'm sorry...I can't give you an answer for that."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Doc came from behind one of the book cases.

"Uncle Doc?"

"That day 8 years ago, your Father's Vice Captain, Ramirez, betrayed him, and not only killed your Father, but killed the soldiers and set the ship on fire. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't. The only thing I was able to do was save Maria and get off. Tried to find you, too, but you were gone."

"Ramirez?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that the same one Vyse Killed to save the world?"

"I believe so."

"...Thank you," Piastol walked over and gave Doc a hug, "I needed to hear that."

Robin smiled and went back to her reading.

"Next Stop," Vyse yelled into the Intercom system, "Sailors Island!"


	11. Chapter 11

(Sec 35) * * * * *

Vyse and Aika went alone, since it was a small town, and the only places they need to go were all very close by. They decided to stop by the Weapons and Armor Shop first, but there wasn't anything there they needed. The Items Shop didn't have much they needed either. But then there was the Ship Parts Shop.

"Blue Rouge King Vyse! Welcome back to my store!"

"Good to see you Charles."

"AND you know my name!?"

"Charles, I come here the most often for my ship parts since your the Central Hub for it all."

"Haha! So very true. So what can I get for you today?"

"Well, it's been a Full year since I brought in the Delphinus."

"You got that Back!?"

"Enrique is letting me 'borrow' it for my next big adventure."

"Borrow?"

"I think he wants me to keep it until a War bursts out."

"With this peace? I think it's yours to keep."

"Anyway, It still has the Four X Cannons on it."

"Ah, yes, those were quite a big deal. There's not much better."

"Darn, I was hoping to get some new connons."

"WOAH, Woah, woah. I said not MUCH better. I have these Brand New Cannons that came in not too long ago, but these beasts are expensive, so i haven't had any takers."

"Can we see it?" Aika asked.

"Just follow me downstairs to the storage area."

In the Basement, The Ship Parts Shop must have taken the entire inside of the Island.

"This," Charles said, putting his hand on top of a Cannon covered in a tarp, "Is the newest in Battle Technology, Vyse, Aika, I present to you..." He removed the tarp to reveal a really nice looking cannon, "The Mini Hydra!"

"The Mini Hydra?"

"Well, Galacian's Ship was pretty big and easy to see. And even though you guys did quite a number on it, Me and a few of my brothers, also in this business, were able to take a look at it, and we built a new, more compact version of The Hydra Cannon."

"Very Impressive, How much damage would it be able to pull off?"

"This thing is energy efficient, and acts as a sort of Secondary Cannon you can fire off every turn. If you had this while fighting one of those Gigas' I heard about, you'd've been able to take them out much faster. It's attack is 750, Hit Percentage is 800, and Uses 6 Spirit Points."

"Very Nice. Now for the painful part. How Much?"

"How many you want?"

"Let's start with one and go from there."

"198,500 gold apiece"

Vyse thought for a minute, "I'll take four."

"But Vyse! We don't have that kind of money!" Aika protested.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? I sold all those extra Moon Berries we had back in Nasard to Osman, giving me 750 gold apiece"

"You sold her all 1,001 of those?"

"1,000 even. The first was free for a taste test. Plus, we'll be selling the X Cannon's back to him for 11,000 apiece, so we still get to keep the gold from our Hauls from Buggy and Kuro."

Vyse gave him the 750,000 gold and Charles got to work on getting the X Cannons off and the Mini Hydra's on. Vyse and Aika decided to hit the Tavern and Visit Polly and Robinson.

"Well well, if it isn't the world Heroes," Polly said with a smile as Vyse and Aika walked in.

"Hey hey! Good to see you kids again," Robinson said. He got rid of the wildman look, and now had a Beard/Mustache combo and a Nice haircut.

"We were in town and thought we'd have a drink before we started sailing again."

"I suppose you kids are going down to that 'Grand Line' We've been hearing about?"

"Yup! I've heard of a Guy named Gold Roger who was a great Pirate. When they execute him, his final words were 'My Treasure is yours for the Taking, but you'll have to find it first. I left everything I own in One Piece'. That was 20 years ago and people are still searching for it."

"Sounds like fun," Robinson said.

"So either of you want to join me to find that treasure?"

"Sorry Vyse," Polly said, "But I had enough adventure last time. I'm staying here."

"I'd love to go," Robinson started, "but after 20 years of being stranded, all I want to do is stay here with my wife."

"I can understand that," Vyse said, grabbing Aika's hand, "Still, couldn't hurt to ask." Vyse an Aika finished their drinks and were about to pay.

"It was on the house, Honey. You were able to give a fresh story to this Old Tavern."

"Thanks! We'll come by and visit again when we're done with out next adventure!"

"You Better!" Polly shouted.  
"We want to hear every last tale you got!" Robinson added.

By the time Vyse was ready to take off, the Cannons were taken care of, so he started heading toward Valua.

(Sec 36) * * * * *

Even though the Great Wall was still being rebuilt, It was still able to Open and Close. Enrique would have left it open 24/7 if Pirates weren't so much trouble. Valua had certainly changed. The Palace was rebuilt and still in the center, and the Rail Train was up and running, but Upper and Lower Valua had vanished and everyone was equal. There was no more separation by Noble or Royal Blood, and everything looked nice, except for the still Dark Clouds above with it's constant Thunder Storm.

Vyse was able to dock at the now Large Harbor and only he, Doc and Chopper got off.

"We won't be too long," Vyse told the others, "We only have Ilchymis and Izmael to visit, and then we'll be heading to Crescent Isle."

Vyse had to ask directions a couple of times, since everything was new to him, but eventually found Ilchymis' Medical Center and Home. Vyse knocked on the door. Ilchymis answered shortly afterwards.

"Vyse? What a pleasant surprise. Please, do come in."

Vyse, Doc and Chopper entered. "Ilchymis, I'd like you to meet Doc, A Free Doctor from Sailors Island."

"Ah yes," Ilchymis said, shaking hands, "You used t work for Admiral Mendoza, correct?"

"Yes, that was quite a while ago."

"And this is Tony Tony Chopper."

"A Raccoon?"

"I am not a Raccoon! I'm a Reindeer who trained with the Best Doctors in the world!"

"Really now?"

"He's from the Grand Line. Drum Island, where he's from, has been known for it's talented doctors. The two he trained under actually cured the country of the plague known as Wapol."

"How very impressive. And I suppose you're telling me this because you'd like me to go with you to this Grand Line?"

"Um, yeah. How'd you guess?"

"Just call it a hunch. I've already made preparations. I have my stuff packed, and my apprentices are able to handle things here, seeing as they've had previous experience and were fast learners, they know everything I do, so this place should be fine."

"Wow. You've been busy, haven't you?"

"Enrique's Checkup was a few days ago, so he was able to tell me you were more then likely that you would come to ask me to join. Plus, you have a knack for getting into the most interesting of situations."

"Haha, I suppose that's true."

"Are you looking for Helmsman Lawrence, too?"

"What? Is he here?"

"He's been looking for steady work for a while. Perhaps he'd like to join the crew again as well?"

"I'd ask, but he said last time that if I wanted him back, I'd have to pay a lot more. Besides, I can handle driving a ship myself."

As Vyse was walking out the door, Izmael was about to knock on the door.

"Izmael? What are you doing here?"

"Ilchymis called me earlier about a leaky roof. So I came as soon as I was done with the house down a ways from here. What are you doing here?"

"I was getting recruits to go down to the Grand Line."

"Were you coming to ask me to join, too?"

"You were next on my list."

"I'll be with you as soon as I fix that roof," and with that, Izmael, walked in, and fixed the roof and was back with everyone else in no time. They had enough Daylight left to get back to Crescent Isle and do some last bit of stocking.

It was good to have most of the crew back, and to have a few new additions as well.


	12. Chapter 13

(Sec 37) * * * * *

That night, after dinner, Vyse called everyone to meet in around the fountain.

"Alright everyone, tomorrow we'll be heading to the Grand Line to help Luffy and the Straw Hats find One Piece. But before we go, just so there aren't any surprises amongst us, we should have our newest members show us what they're capable of."

Syreren went first. She completely destroyed the test dummy and reduced it to shreds. She freaked a few people out when she started biting it.

Firefox Sakurai Made two large flames and manipulated them to look like Vyse and Aika as they danced around the sky above them. Both Crews were impressed.

Confala Hunterosa was able to demonstrate her unique ability to Mix Magics. She was especially talented at Silver Water.

Doc wasn't much of a fighter, but using his knowledge about the human body was able to use pressure points on Khazim, who volunteered to be the test subject, to make him go completely limb. Piastol and Maria were surprised to see their "Uncle" pull off something like this.

Piastol was able to do her Dance of Death, which looked like it had become more deadly since the last time she met Vyse.

Maria asked Luffy if he would be the Volunteer for her performance. She had a long golden ribbon flowing behind her as she pranced around Luffy in a dance. Luffy was completely oblivious as to what she was trying to accomplish, as was everyone else. Then she spun around, Luffy began to feel something tugging on his body. Maria then pulled on the Ribbon and Luffy Fell on his back.

"What just happened?" Aika asked.

"It's a Special Ribbon," Maria stated, "I don't know how it works though. I just accidentally did this to Piastol."

"I can explain," Jones said from atop one of the few trees on the island.

"Jones?" Vyse asked, only slightly surprised.

"A Yeeeeeeeeeeesss?"

"How do you know when to show up?"

"Very Carefully!"

"What?"

Jones jumped from the tree an landed on the Fountains Edge, "Magic!"

"...You're just going to be random now, aren't you?"

"Am I _That_ predictable? Anyway, this is a special ribbon that belonged to a Magician from Olde Valua. This Ribbon has a Ghost that follows it u to about 500 feet, but only wraps itself when that is the owners intension."

"And how would you know this?"

"You have No Proof That I'm Lying!" Jones said with an Insanity Look on his Face, one of his eyes twitching. After standing for a moment he slapped himself, "Sorry about that, over 3,000 years of living can do that to a person," Jones Cleared his throat, "Any way, just stopped by to let you know That now this Whole World Knows about the Grand Line, and, as usual, The World Government is being slow and hasn't even sent out anything, so it's gonna be a while before I can merge your worlds."

"Is that all you came here for?"

"I was going to offer you a ride back right now, so you can start Sailing the Grand Line Tomorrow."

Vyse looked over at his crew, "Everyone Okay with that?"

"Eye, Eye!"

"Alright, Jones, lets go!"

A little later, the Delphinus came back out of the Dark Vortex and headed back towards the Little Island Franky, Usopp, Pinta, and Hans were waiting on. The first thing Luffy did was Jump onto the Sunny and grabbed a new set of cloths, so he looked like his old self again instead of a Vyse Clone.

"Alright!" Usopp said, "You're all back! Just in time too."

"We finished the invention we were working on earlier today," Hans added.

"We would have been done sooner if Franky didn't try to have it Cola Powered," Pinta said.

"Are you mocking my Cola!?" Franky said.

"No, I'm just saying Moon Stones are better for something Like this."

"Well lets see it!" Luffy said, putting his Hat back on.

Franky and Usopp brought out a weird looking Radar Detector. "This," Pinta stated, "Is the Moon Stone Tracker. We put a large chunk of Moon Stone inside the Figure Head of the Thousand Golden Sunny, so with this device, in case we get separated from the Straw Hats, we can find where they went. We can also use it to Find Moon Stones that land in the Sea when our worlds are combined."

"That'll be very useful," Vyse said, "Now we don't have to keep making trips back to Arcadia to refuel."

"About that," Franky said, "If I could get a little time with your engine, I can make it more Fuel Efficient so you won't need as Much of those Moon Rocks."

"Sounds good, but it's getting late, shouldn't we be getting some sleep?"

"It won't take me too long, especially if Usopp is able to give me a hand."

"Right! Nothing is impossible with the best inventors in the world on the job!"

"I better come, too," Brabham said, "I'd like to make sure how this new engine is gonna work so I can fix it when it calls for fixin'."

By the time the inventors and engineers were done with the modifications, the Delphinus was able to use 1/10th of the power it normally needed.

(Sec 38) * * * * *

"You're what!?" Luffy said, surprised Vyse would say such a thing.

"I'm just going back to your Home towns to let your friends and family know how you're doing. With the speed of the Delphinus and it's new Energy Efficient Engine, we'll back back in a couple of days. Besides, we'll be able to catch up with you thanks to that Moon Stone Radar, and you'll be able to get to the Red Line much sooner if you leave now."

"Alright. But hurry back, I'd like to see you guys in action again."

"Will do, Luffy."

For some reason or another, Vyse's Compass still worked properly in the Grand Line. So he was able to set his ship on a strait away course for East Blue.

It took him a while to explain what was going on to the villages we went to, but was able to tell each town what was going on and how the Straw Hats were doing. He stopped at Fuschia Village, where the Towns People were eager to hear in Full the Tale of Luffy an his Struggles, continued to The Baratie(since he didn't know where Zoro's Home Town was) where they were still laughing about Sanji's Poster, went to Kokoyashi Village, where Genzo was still trying to get them to make a different Wanted Poster for Nami. Syrup Village was the Last Stop for the day, and for a good reason.

"Aika, Fina, and Myself will go alone on this one," Vyse said as they neared the Horizon with Usopp's Home.

"Eye, Eye, Captain!"

Vyse, Aika, and Fina took one of the Life Boats, since Usopp requested that he didn't tell the stories to the whole Village.

"PIRATES!" Said Usopp's Once Pirate Crew as they ran through the town, "Pirates are coming!" They still wanted to keep Usopp's Tradition going until he was able to return. Vyse was walking when he saw the three of them coming strait at him, and when they passed, he grabbed the one known as Pepper.

"Hey, put me down!"

"I will in a sec. Are you one of Usopp's Friends?"

"Huh, do you know the Captain?"

"Yes, but I'm here on business. Would you be able to direct us to Miss Kaya?"

"What do you want with her?" Carrot asked.

"Well, I'm sure she'd like to hear Usopp's adventures as much as you do."

"You Traveled with Usopp!?" Onion asked surprised.

"Not quite. But I did meet with Luffy and the rest of his crew and we were able to exchange stories."

"That is so COOL!" Pepper said, once Vyse placed him on the ground, "Miss Kaya's place is this way!"

When they arrived at Kaya's Mansion, Merry answered the Gate. "Hello, who might you be?"

"I'm Vyse, a Friend of Luffy and Usopp. I've come to tell Kaya of their adventures."

"Oh I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear each and every one of them. It's a good thing you caught her on her day off."

"Day off?" Aika asked, "Usopp told us last time he saw her she could barely leave the bed."

"Oh, we have had troubles send messages to the Straw Hats. Kaya has gotten better, and is now the apprentice of the Town's Doctor," They had walked into the building and were heading towards the Study Hall, "Miss Kaya, we have guests that are friends of Luffy and Usopp."

Vyse was able to tell the five of them the amazing adventures the Straw Hats had had since they left the Village. The Battle at Arlong Park, Rouge Town, Alabasta, Water 7(and the unfortunate event of the Going Merry), and Enis Lobby. Usopp's Pirates then went to go and imitate everything they just heard, while Merry went to make some tea for all of them.

"Poor Usopp, it sounds like he gets hurt a lot, but I'm glad to hear he's doing fine. I wish I could go be with him."

"I can arrange that," Vyse said.

"What?" Kaya said, very interested.

"Our Ship, The Delphinus is extremely fast. We were with the Straw Hats earlier today in the Grand Line."

"How can a ship sail through water that quickly?"

"Well, the World Government has been slow about it, but There is another world that was part of this one known as The Skies of Arcadia, where the Ships can Fly through the Air."

"No way!"

"It's true, we'd show you our ship now, but we had to bring in a life boat so we wouldn't freak out the town."

"So you can take me with you!?"

"If you want to go."

Kaya got up from her chair and gave Vyse a Hug, "Nothing would make me happier. And I can still study being a Doctor under that Chopper character you were telling me about."

"We have a couple of doctors on our ship as well, and they're the best from our world."

"Really!?"

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but in the Skies of Arcadia, I am King of the Blue Rouge Pirates, and have sailed every inch of the sky. I have yet to meet a doctor that's better then Ilchymis."

"So when can we go!?"

"Well, it's been a long day. We were hoping to rest the night here in town and then visit two more islands tomorrow before heading back to meet with the Straw Hats."

"That sounds wonderful! I'll finally be able to be with my Usopp again!" Kaya ran out of the room to go and back.

"Well, she certainly seems happy," Merry said as he walked in, "I heard what you told her, so you don't need to say it again. Tea?"

"I'd like some, thank you," said Fina.

"So, the Going Merry really is gone?"

"I'm afraid so," Aika said.

"Well, it was nice to hear it served them well for such a long time. I didn't expect it to actually make it to the skies. Now that I don't have to worry about the Merry, I have to worry about what I'm going to do.

""You could come with us," Fina suggested.

"Oh dear me, no. I'm much too old to do anything like that. I guess I can just keep this place tidied up until Miss Kaya and Usopp return."

Merry then picked up the Tea Tray and walked back to the kitchen. 'Kaya moving away. I'd thought I'd never see the day. But so long as she's happy, I'll be happy too.'


	13. Chapter 14

(Sec 39) * * * * *

The next morning, Miss Kaya was up before everyone else, and had made breakfast. While the Vyse, Aika, and Fina ate, Miss Kaya went out to the town to say her good-byes.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm off to the Grand Line."

"Miss Kaya! You can't be serious!?"

"I've been offered an apprenticeship at Drum Island, the place where the best doctors in the world come from."

"Will you be alright?"

"The people they sent for me are strong and are determined to protect me. I'll write back as often as I can with my studies."

Vyse, Aika and Fina were coming down with Kaya's Luggage.

"You ready to go Miss Kaya?" Vyse asked.

"These guys look like pirates!"

"Sir, if we were Pirates, would we be carrying her stuff for her? If we were real Pirates we would have looted your town and probably burned your Village to the ground."

"I guess your right. No hard feelings?"

"None."

"Alright, lets go! I can't wait to get there!"

As they sailed from th shore back to the Delphinus, Vyse couldn't help himself, "Couldn't tell them the truth?"

"It would have taken longer to explain, and the sooner we get there, the better."

A few Hours Later, they were at Drum Island.

"This place is no where near as cold as The Ice Ruins," Aika said as she put on her coat.

They were just above the clouds of the island, so nobody could see them coming.

Vyse went to knock on the door of the Castle that Dr. Kureha was living in. "Hello!?" Vyse yelled.

"What do you want, Punk?"

"I'm Vyse, a Friend of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"Oh really, now? Come on in."

Kureha took Vyse, Aika, Kaya and Ilchymis to the sitting room, "You don't look as old as Luffy said you were."

Vyse was then sent hurtling through the room, crashing into the wall. When he opened his eyes, he was on the floor looking up at Dr. Kureha, "I'm not old, I'm only 140."

"I wasn't calling you old. LUFFY called you old."

"Damn kids. Alright, what do you want?"

Vyse got up off the floor, "Well, Ilchymis and Kaya were hoping to look at your Medical Books. Ilchymis is the best Doctor where we're from, and Kaya wants to become a doctor. Aika and I were just here wondering if you'd like to here of Chopper's Adventures since he left."

She stood there for a moment, "Sigh, the books you want are on the shelfs over there." Vyse and Aika took a seat as well did Kureha, "So, tell me what my little Chopper's been up to."

Vyse told her about the struggle in Alabasta, The Rainbow Mist, Skypiea, The Navy Stronghold, The Davy Back Fights and Water 7/Enis Lobby Battles.

"So he did the Triple Rumble again, eh? What a stupid Reindeer."

"From what he told us, he had no choice, it was that or death."

"Just give him one thing when you see him."

"What's that?"

Kureha motioned Vyse to come a little closer. When he did he got punched in the back of his head, "Don't EVER do that again! You could get yourself killed!"

Everyone in the room froze when laughter started to fill the air.

"Who's in my Castle!?" Kureha shouted.

Jones emerged from the shadows, sorry for the intrusion. I tried to keep myself from being discovered, but seeing Vyse get owned again and again is just too funny.

Kureha stared at Jones a moment, "You seem familiar, do I know you?"

"Maybe."

"I look at you and I see Gol D. Roger, but that can't possibly be right."

"His name is Davy Jones," Vyse said, getting up from the floor again.

"JONES!?"

"Way to go Vyse. Couldn't you have stayed unconscious for a few more minutes?"

"You owe me money!"

"This again, can't you just let your Alzheimer's set in?"

"NO! Now where's my Money?"

"I told you on that day you gave me the medicine I wasn't going to pay you. My body would have taken care of the poison on it's own, but Noooooo, you had to give me the antidote when I went o sleep."

"If I didn't you would have died!"

"If I didn't I would have been FINE! I am an Immortal! I've lived over 3,000 years, and If i so desire, I'll live another 3,000."

"But you still owe me the money for that cure."

"I don't have to deal with this," Jones walked over to the nearest door, opened it and left.

"......That's a Closet, Jones!" Kureha said as she walked over. She opened the door to only discover that Jones had really left.

"Where did he go?"

"Who knows," Vyse said, rubbing the back of his head again, "He just seems to follow us, disappear, and then re-appear whenever he feels like it."

"So he's with you?"

"No, he just keeps causing us problems."

"Then he Still owes me money."

"What was that abiut, anyways?" Aika asked.

"About 60 years ago, He was having a hard time walking. He had been to Little Garden and got bitten by one of the Prehistoric Bugs that gave him the 5-Day-Death Poison. I was able to treat him, but he still refuses to pay me. I don't buy that whole 'Immortal' bit he keeps saying."

"Didn't you notice that he hadn't aged at all?"

"Bah, he just figured out my secret to my youth."

"Okay Vyse, we've gotten all the notes we need," Kaya said.

"Was that all of the stories about Chopper you had?" Kureha asked.

"That's all so far."

"Well it was nice to hear about him. Don't forget to give him that message for me."

"It won't be hard to remember."

(Sec 40) * * * * *

Their Last stop before heading back was Alabasta, since the Straw Hats seemed to like her a lot and truly missed her.

Vyse and Aika went alone on this one. When they reached the Palace Doors, Pell had just Landed with Vivi getting off his back.

"It has been too long since we've done that," Pell said.

"Well I wasn't going to ride you when you were still injured."

"Excuse me?" Aika said.

Vivi turned and noticed the two people, "Hello, who might you be?"

"I'm Vyse, and this is my wife, Aika."

"We're friends of the Straw Hats."

Vivi gasped, "Really?"

"We met them not too long ago, and we've been sailing the seas, retracing their steps to meet the people they met," Aika explained.

"Would you like to here of the Straw Hat's Adventures?"

"Oh that would be wonderful!"

Vivi escorted them to her room, where Vyse and Aika were able to tell her about The Rainbow Mist, Skypiea, The Navy Stronghold, The Davy Back Fights and Water 7/Enis Lobby Battles.

"It sounds like Ms. All Sunday has been helpful."

"She doesn't go by her code name anymore. She goes by Robin."

"It still sounds very interesting."

"Say, the world government hasn't sent out anything about an Arcadia, has it?" Vyse asked.

"We just got word of it earlier today."

"Thank God!" said a Voice.

"Damn it, Jones! If you're going to Follow us, at least let us know!"

"But it's fun sneaking around," Jones said, shape-shifting himself from the Clever Bookcase back to his normal self, "Now, I must be off." With that he disappeared.

"Who was that?"

"He calls himself Davy Jones. He was the one who introduced us to Luffy and his Crew. Anyway, we were hoping to tell you a little bit about the Leaders of our World."

"It would be nice to have that Kind of information."

Vyse continued to explain about Arcadia, how the world was at Peace, and how each of the Leaders were good people.

"Well, I can't wait for the next Kings Counsel to meet them."

"You could come with us, and as soon as our worlds merge, our Ship can take you to meet them."

"That is a kind offer, but I would like to stay here with my people. Please tell Luffy and the others I said 'Hi'."

"Will do, Vivi," Vyse said, "We need to get going so we can find the Straw Hats by Nightfall."

"Do you know where they're at now?"

"Last I checked, they were entering the Florang Triangle."

"Be careful, I've heard that's a dangerous sea."

"I've been able to deal with Hurricanes, Massive Machines, and Huge Beasts. I think we can handle the sea."

"Take care, Vivi!" Aika said as they left.

Vyse took the Helm again, "Alright, Our True Adventure in the Grand Line will begin soon!"


	14. Chapter 15

(Sec 41) * * * * *

The next morning, Vyse got up as early as possible. He didn't want to miss out on too much of their adventures. He had been sailing the whole day and didn't seem to be that much closer to them. As night fell, Aika tried to reason with Vyse.

"It can't be healthy to have been driving for 16 hours strait."

"I can't help it. Sailing with the Straw Hats sounds like an awesome adventure to be had, and I don't want to miss any of it."

"Tell you what, I'll keep steering the ship, while you get some much needed rest. I'll wake you up as soon as we find the Straw Hats."

"Alright," Vyse said, feeing a little tired.

Aika kept on driving towards the Florang Triangle, where the Signal from the Thousand Sunny was coming from, and sailed into the night. Morning was a few hours away, but Aika had taken a nap earlier that day, so she was going to be fine till dawn, which was a couple of hour away.

But on an Island Sized Ship, near the edge of the Florang Triangle's Fog, A Battle was already taking place...(To find out what happened to the Straw Hats, watch episodes 337-366)

"OI! Odz!" Zoro said with Chopper, Usopp, Franky, Sanji and Robin following him.

A Red Giant with Horns, a Long Yellow Main with one Eye looked up from the building he was looking into. "Eh?"

"If you really are Luffy's Shadow...Then you should know not to underestimate our True Potential."

"Heh, You guys sure are tough...Mini-Pirates," Odz took a leap off of the building and landed heavily on the ground, staring right into the crews eyes.  
"I have a proposal you guys. How about we take this guy down once."

"O-Oi, Zoro?!" Usopp said, still a little afraid.

"I see...Now that would be very satisfying, I think," Sanji said, taking a puff from his cigarette.

"W-Wait a second. Th-Throw him down!? You mean this huge guy?"

"But to be able to move like Luffy," Zoro said, a smile on his face, "With this size sure is terrifying..."

"But he doesn't look like a Pirate King!" Robin Stated.

"The question is how to proceed," Franky said, putting his huge Nun chucks over his right shoulder and his left hand on his chin, "I have more then enough strategies."

"There must be a weak point," Chopper said.

"A big fish is to be weakened step by step, but..." Sanji trailed off.

"In any case," Usopp said, "I'm really scared."

Odz laughed, "BE CRUSHED!"

"He's coming!" Zoro said.

Odz took another mighty leap into the air, "GUM GUM...BUTTBLANT!"

The crew scattered, just missing the blow.

"LIKE THAT'S A TECHNIQUE!" Usopp said.

"SCATTER!" Franky said.

"GUM GUM..."

"FRANKY! He's after you!" Zoro warned.

Franky jumped just before Odz threw his, "Scythe!"

"Damn you. If that's how you want it, I'll show you!" Franky put down his Nun chucks and ran towards Usopp and Chopper, "Guys! Let's do it! TATICS 15!"

"What!?"

"No way!" Chopper said, "Right now, here!?"

Chopper and Usopp started running along side Franky, "Zoro! Curly! Standby!"

"Standby?" Sanji asked calmly.

"Just support my legs!" Franky said as he and the other two charged them.

"What the heck is he up to?" Zoro asked.

"Here I go! Let's do this!"

insert Power Rangers combo here

"Pirates Docking 6!" Chopper shouted.

"Giant Robot Warrior!" Usopp yelled.

"BIG EMPEROR!" Franky Exclaimed.

"Wait a minute Franky!" Chopper said.

"What is it!?"

"'Left Arm' hasn't docked yet!"

"WHA~T!?" he said, looking at his 'bare' arm, "Oi! What are you doing, Nico Robin!? Dock on my Left Arm, QUICKLY!"

"Robin, Hurry!" Chopper yelled.

"Come, Robin!" Usopp said, "Just do like I did!"

"...no...way." Franky, Usopp and Chopper just stared at her, "It's embarrassing as a Human Being."

All three of the gasped.

"As a Human..." Chopper started.

"...Being..." was all Franky could say.

"E-Em-Embarr-..." Usopp tried to finish.

"It's embarrassing as a Human Being." Robin repeated.

"She said it Twice!?" The three of them said at the same time.

"You can't do it!?" Odz said, "The Docking!?"

"Why the heck are you shocked about it?" Sanji said in an angry tone.

"Damn it!" Odz said, "And I got all excited!" Odz raised his arm for another Scythe attack, "Just do it! Docking!" as he brought his hand in, Sanji and Zoro ducked, leaving Franky, Chopper and Usopp take the full brunt of the blow, knocking them into a nearby boulder.

"What a Mistake," Zoro said, "What have I been doing...? I'll just forget it," he turned and started running towards Odz.

"Robin!" Franky shouted from the Hole he had just made with his body, "If you had participated we could have turned into the Robot Warrior: The 'Big Emperor'!"

"It's unbelievable betrayal..." Chopper said, "UNBELEIVABLE!"

"Luffy would have done it for us for sure!" Usopp stated.

"Don't ever do that again," Robin said with her back to them, facing Odz, "That Docking..." she started walking away.

Franky, Usopp, and Chopper broke out from the Boulder, "Let's Start Over, Damn It!"

"FRANKY!" Zoro shouted as he stuck one of his swords inside of Franky's Huge Nun chucks, "I'm gonna borrow this big thing!" He stuck a second sword into it.

"BASTARD! Those are MY heavy nun chucks!" Zoro started picking them up, "Can't help it...You can borrow them!"

Sanji started running around Odz, "Damn him. I need to go and rescue Nami-swan as fast as possible." Sanji picked up a small boulder with his foot, "Just take this for now." He kicked the rock up, and when it came down kicked it again for a head shot, nailing Odz behind his Right Horn.

"YOU!" Odz said as he turned around, aiming his left punch for him.

Zoro started running towards Odz, "Robin! When I hit his left arm, Get hold of it!"

"Understood," she said as she crossed her arms.

"Here I come!" Zoro started spinning the Heavy Nun chucks

Elsewhere, the crew's newest member, Skeleton Brooke, was trying to find the Kitchen for some milk to heal his wounds.

"It seems that this place has already been cleared, but there has to be some somewhere" he accidentally kicked a bottle that started rolling across the floor. "That's it! I'm a little worried about the 'best...before'...date...Yo...hooooo" He started at the Bottle's Cap. "Oh no~...No, NO! This is still Okay, It's Okay. just a couple of days!" He took off the top, "Bottoms Up!" He drank heartily since it was a full bottle, "I CAN FEEL IT! I can feel it in my Organs...Even though being a skeleton I don't have any! REVIVED!" he grabbed his head for a moment, since there wasn't enough milk to get him back to 100%. "Now, I have to find that stuff quickly so I can help the others!" He took a few steps through the kitchen and saw a Door with many locks and chains on it. "That's a bit suspicious," he said to himself as he walked over. he took out his Sword Cane and took off the locks and chains. He stepped in, "There it is!" he took a handful of the stuff, dabbed his finger in it and put it in hi mouth. after a couple of moments he realized, "I...don't have a tounge..."

At the Docks of Thriller Bark, Perona was having her Zombies take all the food and treasure from the island and putting it on the Thousand Sunny.

"Hurry up! I don't want to stay on this crazy Island any longer then I have to!"

"Yes~s Perona-sama."

Back at the Battle between Odz and the Straw Hats, Sanji was egging Luffy Zombie on, "Hey! Over Here!"

"YOU...Despite being tiny...GUM GUM-"

"Usopp!" Sanji cried, "NOW!"

"I Know! Ultimate Special Oil Star-Three Shots!"

Direct hit on Odz Right Hand, which was holding him up to throw the punch at Sanji. Odz slipped, but quickly tried to stop from falling.

"Oi! Curly!" Zoro said, still running at him, "Send me Flying!"

"You're carrying that big thing?"

"if you can't that'll be fine, too." Zoro said with a smug look as he jumped up.

"You wish, Idiot!" Sanji held up his leg so Zoro would land on it, "AIR FORCE...POWER SHO~OT!" Sanji flung Zoro towards Odz's Left Arm.

"BIG...SLASH!" Using the Nun chucks, Zoro hit Odz's left arm dead center.

"Cien(100) Fleur(Flower)." Robin said, "Big Tree!" she had created a Tree of arms on Odz's Back.

"What's That!?" Odz asked confused.

Robin brought the giant arm down and wrapped it twice around Odz's Arm, "Clutch!" Forcing Odz to hold his arm behind his back.

Odz losing his balance, he brought up his left leg and hoped on his right to keep from falling.

Franky let out a roar, "Take a look! at this super improvised airspace stair building! FRANKY SKY WALK!" with a little help from Chopper, Franky had built a really flimsy stairway leading up to Odz's Face. "The life of this stairway is short! let's wrap this up, Chopper!" Both of them jumped as the stairway started to collapse, and Odz had started Falling on his side. Simultaneously, "SUPER...FRAPPER...GONG!"

Franky had Hit with his Right, while Chopper his left, smacking Odz on his Left Cheek.

"No matter how big his size, a body's weak point is the same," Chopper stated as he and Franky fell, "When the Jaw shakes, The Brain will, too."

"The last support for your body is your Right Leg." Sanji said as soon as Chopper and Franky Landed. Sanji started sprinting towards Odz at an alarming speed, "Anti-Manner...KICK COURSE!" Sanji jumped into the air and aimed strait for Odz's Ankle. Bull's Eye. Odz did all he could to keep his last support from slipping, but Sanji was exerting more pressure on his ankle to make it move, "FALL...DOWN!" Odz's leg finally slipped, sending him flying.

"That's right, monster, Fall over," Zoro said.

"ALRIGHT! GO!" Franky said with excitement.

Sanji made a quick landing, but jumped away the second he could so he wouldn't be crushed by Odz's falling body. Odz's back hit the Mansion, and slid down, planting his horns into the ground.

A few moments later, Usopp was the first to speak, "All Righty~! Have you seen our power?!"

"How's That!? Luffy Monster!" chopper said, still in his Human Form.

Sanji took a moment to soak in the moment before re-lighting his cigarette for the third time this match. He puffed out some smoke before speaking, "That...is ONE down." He broke out a smile.

The dust was still clearing, so Odz was coughing from time to time, "...ouch..." As the smoke cleared, Odz could see that the Straw Hats were gathered around him, "You Bastards! NOW I'm pissed! I'll Destroy you ALL!"

"Don't tell me...Odz is losing...?" Perona asked herself as she looked around a corner and saw Odz's legs high in the air. "Hurry up you zombies!"

As the zombies rushed to get everything on board, a couple of them looked up from the deck. "Who are you? Not a zombie I see. looking almighty, Like a bear."

"A bear, you say? You sure have a point" said the strange man. He took a couple of steps closer, "Is Moria around?"


	15. Chapter 16

(Sec 42) * * * * *

On the Bridge Franky made not so long ago, Nami was running for the Sunny. She had found out the Perona was going to take all the treasure and the ship. Then she heard a Crash. she turned around and saw Odz falling(still the first fall). "...That's...Luffy's Zombie...BUT my priority is to get the treasure. I'm going to have to pass on this." and she continued running across the bridge in the wedding Dress she was wearing.

"You Bastards! NOW I'm pissed! I'll Destroy you ALL! Don't you dare think I'll leave a single bone in your bodies unbroken!" Odz let out a Mighty roar.

"GAHHH!" Chopper said, now in his normal form, "He's really pissed now!"

"This is Bad!" Usopp shouted, "BAAAD!"

"Here he comes," Sanji warned, getting his legs ready to kick.

Zoro had his hands on his swords, ready to unleash them. Franky had his Weapons Left Machine Gun ready. Robin was in position for her techniques, but then put hr arms down when she noticed Odz wasn't moving.

"I...I...I can't move! My Horns! Damnit! My horns are stuck in the Ground!"

Everyone got an Evil gleam in their eyes, "You can't move, eh?" Frank said, lifting his sunglasses onto his forehead.

Zoro licked his lips, about to taste the upcoming victory. The Straw Hats approached Odz.

"Wh..What are you doing...?" Odz asked as he struggled to get his horns unstuck.

What happens next is just so horrible and Gruesome, I just CAN'T bring myself to tell you what happens next. I can only tell you it was a really, REALLY bad beating that lasted for about 20 seconds.

"STOP THAT ALREADY!" Odz screamed as he had finally unstuck himself and got on all fours to stand up.

"RETREAT!" Usopp and Chopper yelled.

"Yeah!" Franky and Sanji said as they booked it as well.

"Those guys are like Demons!"

"It's no good," Sanji said, "Even if we knock him over-"

"We're back at the starting point," Robin finished.

"Well, what do we do next?" Zoro asked Franky.

Up above, in the skies, another Dark Vortex appeared. since the Straw Hats were too busy deciding what to do, they did not know of the Green Ship with a Large Yellow Harpoon coming through.

Also not far away from the island, The Delphinus had reached the Island the Straw Hats were on, and since the fog wasn't thick, Aika was able to sound the alarm for the Red Devil Giant up ahead.

"Blue Rouges!" Vyse said, "Battle stations! Prepare to fire on that thing!"

"Wait, Captain!" Domingo protested, "The Straw Hats are down there Too! if we fire, they may get hit."

"Good work, Domingo," Vyse thought for a moment, and then he saw Luffy running through the forest below, "I'll go with Luffy. He's usually going strait to the source of the problem, the rest of you, help the Straw Hats!"

"Eye, Eye!"

Vyse jumped off the edge of the ship and landed in the trees and proceeded to follow Luffy.

"Okay, everyone!" Aika announced, "Get us as close to the battle as possible without getting in range of that things attacks!"

Back at the battle, Franky, Usopp and Chopper had completed Docking Three, and with Sanji's help, were able to get on Odz's Head.

"Only Three?" Odz said, unimpressed.

"We'll show you!" Franky said, "Pirates Robo-Attack!" said all three of them together.

Franky then started stomping on Odz's Head, doing almost nothing.

"That's how they're going to attack?" Zoro asked, one sword on his shoulder.

"Hey, get off of there!" Odz said.

"It really starts now," Usopp said, "We'll show you the true Fearsomeness of the Pirates Docking 3!"

"Huh?" Odz said.

"So you're gonna become the Pirate King, huh? That's what you're always babbling about! But you're so huge, you'd sink any ship you boarded."

"That's right! That's right!" Franky and Chopper said in agreement.

"What did you say!?"

"Didn't we just knock you down a second ago? Who's supposed to be the scary one?" Usopp continued, "You cute little baby." The three of them laughed.

"Who's the little Baby!? I'll show you, you Mini-Pirates!" Odz took his Right fist and aimed it right at them.

"NOW!" all three said as they jumped from Odz's Forehead, making him punch himself. As they landed, they Un-Docked, "YOSHA!"

"That's TWO down now!" Franky said.

"Two down!" Usopp and Chopper said.

"Nuh huh! I'm not going to fall!"

He regained his balance, but no one noticed the Green ship just overhead. A large man with a Mechanical arm walked over to the edge of his ship and looked down. "How the hell did I get here? First I'm on a fishing trip with Vyse and his friends, then I'm in some Black Vortex, and now this!?" The man looked over and saw the Delphinus approaching, "Well, if they're fighting this thing by hand, I'll help them, but i better get a God Damn Good Explanation when this is over." he stepped onto the side. "HEY! BIG, RED, AND UGLY!" Everyone looked up, "Hand Of FATE!" He jumped off the side of his ship, coming strait down on Odz. Even though there were no Clouds around, I Lightning Bolt Appeared out of nowhere, hitting his Mechanical Arm. When the Flash was gone, his arm was now Three Times His size, making it a bit bigger then Odz's fist. "DIE!" The fist came strait down, hitting Odz Square in the face, and knocking him into the ground. The force of the blow was so great, Odz was 30 feet below the ground before he stopped moving. The man used his fingers to spring himself upwards, and slammed Odz's head another 10 feet into the ground, before using extensive force to push himself back up above ground, did a couple of back flips, when his arm returned to 'normal', and landed feet on the ground near the Straw Hats.

The man looked around. "What are you kids starin' at? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Aika, Fina, Khazim, Piastol, Confala, Sakurai, and Syreren all jumped off the Delphinus and landed behind the Straw Hats. as the ship pulled away from the battle, Aika was the first to speak. "Cap't...Captain Drachma!?"

"This is Drachma!?" All the Straw Hats exclaimed, except for Robin.

"What the hell is going on here? You all act like I've been dead or something"

"But Drachma," Fina said, "You did die."

"What!?"

"It's a long story" Aika said, "but I think we still need to deal with that thing." as she pointed, Odz's feet began to twitch a little.

"SUPER NORO NORO BEAM!" A Bright Blue Light covered the entire Island, and everything Froze. Jones appeared. "I have WAY to much fun doing this." He walked over to The two crews who were frozen in mid-argument. "This will last as Long as I want to, but I'm going to make this quick." He did his finger trick in which everyone swapped the information needed to understand the situation. Jones all of a sudden was wearing a strange hat and had a ring on a string. "You are getting very sleepy, veeeeerrrry sleep. Now when I say the words one, two, Jango, you will have no memory of me being here, and everything you know was explained by the other pirate crew...One...Two...JANGO!"

Jones disappeared and the flow of time was sent back to normal.

"Okay, so let me see if I got this strait," Aika said, "One of the Warlords, Moria is using his Devil Fruit ability to steal peoples shadows, and you guys are keeping this one Busy while Luffy, and now Vyse, take care of Moria so everyone can get their shadows back?"

"That sums it up," Robin said.

"So how are we going to take this thing down?" Drachma asked.

"I have an Idea," Usopp said, "It seems to me, that he hasn't lost the Luffy part of him."

"But he said he didn't know us!" Chopper stated, "He even said he was Moria's Underling."

"But you know, when we were doing the Docking Six, don't you think that's exactly how Luffy would have reacted?"

"Indeed," Robin confirmed.

"So what are you planning?" Drachma asked.

"Odz's weakness, would be the same as Luffy's weakness."

Everyone scattered as Odz got up from the hole he was in. "Ugh, what the hell hit me."

"WOAH!" Usopp shouted, "Look at that Huge Piece of MEAT!"

"What? MEAT!?" Where, Odz looked behind him. There was Drachma standing on Sanji's Leg

"AIR FORCE Iron Man SHOOT!"

"HAND OF FATE!" Drachma nailed Odz in the chest this time.

Franky and Zoro did a Tag team Technique, "KNEE CRUSHER!" Franky grabbed his Nun Chucks and smashed one while Zoro slashed the other, Making Odz fall to his knees.

"Does bringing him down to his Knees count as a 'Down'?" Zoro asked.

"If there were rules to this game, I'd doubt we'd follow them." Franky Answered.

"How humiliating." Odz said to himself.

"We won't lose to you!" Franky exclaimed, "Not before Straw Hat and Eyepatch beat up Moria!"

"Why wait for that?" Aika asked.

"Yeah, why don't we just take him down now?" Zoro agreed.

"O-O-Oi! We're just making sure this monster doesn't bother them, aren't we!?" Franky asked, "We're going to defeat that thing!?"

"There's no meat...They made me kneel"

Zoro got his swords ready again, "the fight is not over until it is won."

"You're fighting a Zombie, you know!?" Franky questioned, "You have to purify him to defeat him!"

"That's right Zoro," Usopp said, "Let's just buy some time!"

"If you don't want to win," Sanji said, "Run. I don't plan to wait for Luffy either."

"GUM GUM" Odz started.

Zoro took out his Black Blade he got from Brooke's Zombie, "Even if a Dinosaur stepped on it, it would not bend. It's said that this Black Blade's Greatest characteristic is it's Hardness." Zoro put the Wado in his mouth, "Since I've finally obtained the Power of the First-Rate Sword, Shuusui," He drew out his third blade, "I'll have to use this chance to test it!"

"Damnit! That Moria Guy! Where did he go!?" Luffy said as he stopped.

"LUFFY!" Vyse said as he caught up. "Mind giving me the quick version of what's going on?"

"This guy named Moria, one of the Warlords, has taken some of our crews shadows, and we have to get them back before dawn otherwise those of us who don't have a shadow will disappear forever."

"That sounds bad."

"Very! Now I don't know how to find him."

Vyse looked around, "AHA! Luffy, Grab onto a tree and rocket us strait up. I'll look in one direction, yo look in the other."

"YOSH! GUM GUM," Vyse turned around so his back was to Luffy and hooked his arms over his shoulders, "ROCKET!" as they flew upwards, they looked around, "FOUND HIM!" Luffy exclaimed as he reached his arms to a Chain so he could kick himself in the right direction. "MORIA!"

Back at the Sunny, Nami had just gotten there and had her Perfect Climactic out, "HEY! Zombies!" The zombies looked up, "Where are you going with the Treasure I was gonna steal? AND to the Sunny!?"

Perona laughed, "I was thinking of how it was and it's the Pirate Woman. Did your Ceremony with Absalom end already?"

"Who would marry that Invisible Pervert Beast Guy!?"

"So you ran away after all...That guy's such an idiot. So, what will you do? I plan on taking this ship and escaping from this island. If you want to stop me from doing that, You'll have to fight me." She held out her hand, Palm up and released a bunch of Mini Hollows, "For an opponent of your level, this should be enough. My natural enemy was only that Nosepp."

Nami looked up a little, "Who's that?"

"Perona-sama! RUN!" said several of her Zombie Subordinates.

"Who are you!?" Perona said as she turned, then realizing who it was. "You're...definitely no normal guy..." Perona fell to the ground, "This guy...one of the Royal WarLords! The Tyrant!! Bartholomew Kuma!!! When he was a Pirate, his bounty was close to 300 Million." All of her Zombie subordinates were speechless

"You're joking..." Nami said to herself.

"You...are one of Moria's Subordinates, correct?" Kuma asked.

"M-Moria-sama. No! Gecko Moria has no connection with me! I was just about to...run away...from this island..."

There was a silence, then Kuma spoke, "If you were to travel anywhere, where would you like to go?"

"Why would you want to know that!?" then Perona blushed, put a hand to her cheek, "But IF I were traveling, I'd go somewhere Dark, Damp, and close to an Old Castle engulfed in malice. I could spend my life there singing cursed songs..." She snapped herself out of it, "I got caught off guard!" She stood up, "Don't mess with me. I was overwhelmed by your great reputation for a moment. But there is nothing to fear! With my ability, there is no man I can't take down!"

Kuma stood for a moment, before he started flipping through his Bible.

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!? I bet you shadow is very powerful, Kuma! I will take you down and give you to Moria-Sama as a farewell gift. NEGATIVE GHOST! and TOKU HOLLOW!" as the Hollows charged Kuma, he closed his Bible, too off his right glove, and...Perona and her Hollows Vanished without a trace.

Kuma put his glove back on, "Since you've done that, I can't ask you for Moria's location."

"Where'd she go?" Nami asked more to herself then anyone else nearby.

The Zombie finally snapped out of it, "Perona-sama! What have you done with our Princess!? We won't forgive you! Unforgivable!" The zombies all gathered around Kuma, ready to fight. Kuma turned his head ever so slightly to look over at Nami, "He's Too DAMN SCARY! RUN!" and the Zombies fled as fast as they could.

After a small silence, Kuma finally spoke, "You're the Cat Burglar, aren't you? One of Straw Hat's Nakama?" Nami took a step back. "Is the rumor that Monkey D. Luffy has a Brother, true?" Kuma Vanished and Reappeared on a Stone Block nearby Nami.

'What? He got here in an instant? A...Warp?' she thought to herself, "He does. You mean Ace, right? Why do yo you want to know?"

"I see...so it IS true."

"What is this? Are you after Luffy? Are you really a War Lord!?"

But Kuma had gone again, without a trace.

"Whatever I want," Kuma appeared again on the other side of the wall he was on before, "It's my freedom to do so." he slowly walked away.

"This guy is bad news. Is he after Luffy? I have to tell everybody."

Back with Vyse and Luffy, they had finally caught up with Moria and Tackled him at his neck.

"We caught you, Moria!" Vyse said.

"I won't let you run anymore, You Bastard! NOW FIGHT ME!"

"And give back everyone's Shadows!"

"GUM GUM..."

"Pirates..."

'Moria' lifted his head up to reveal that it was his Shadow the whole time.

"His shadow?" Vyse asked.

"WE WERE CHASING HIS......!?!?" There was an explosion of Dirt and Dust.

"D-DAMN IT!" Vyse said.

"He tricked us!!" Luffy shouted towards the skies.


	16. Chapter 17

(Sec 43) * * * * *

Vyse and Luffy were still struggling with trying to keep Moria's Shadow down. "He must have swiched places with his shadow without us noticing," Luffy stated.

"I don't even know what this guy looks like yet."

The Moria Shadow Smiled and slipped out from both of their grasps while they were distracted and took off flying into the sky.

"Why you sneaky little..." Luffy said as he stretched his arms to grab the Tail of the Shadow. But when he grabbed it, his hands went right through. "HEY! Don't just leave us here!" Where are we!? HEY!" Luffy kept on shouting at it.

"It's no use, he got away."

"This is bad. I said I'd get everyone's shadow's back, and without mine, I'm in trouble too...Wait, What happens if I don't have a Shadow again...?"

"If sunlight hits you you melt, or something along those lines."

Luffy took a moment to visualize what that was like. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHH! That's right!" Luffy looked at his hands, "If we don't do anything we'll be melted away by the sunlight!"

"Once the sun rises, you and everyone else on this island without a shadow will be in big trouble."

"Damn, We have to hurry before the night ends!" Luffy took off Running again, "How could I let this happen!?"

Back at the Battle of Odz, The crews were still arguing about what needed to be done.

"Zoro," Usopp said, "Like I said, we've got no choice but to wait for Luffy and Vyse to beat Moria."

"I've finally obtained the Black Blade, Shuusui. With a huge guy like this in front of us, I can I not think of trying it out?"

"Wash, you-"

Zoro cut him off, "ODZ!" Odz looked down, "COME! I will fight you!"

"Gotcha" Odz said as he threw a punch, Zoro jumped back to avoid being hit. Boulders were sent flying towards Zoro, so he acted quickly to slice them in half before they hit.

"ZORO! No matter how many times you try it, It's impossible for you alone!"

"Get back here and stick to the Plan!" Franky insisted.

"Come to think of it," Zoro said, completely ignoring them, "This sword is a lot heavier then Yubashiri..." As Zoro thought about it, Odz sent in another Punch.

"OI! ZORO! Get out of the way!" Usopp tried warning him.

"If it's heavy," Zoro said. He headed towards the punch and took the two swords in his hands and started to deflect Odz Punch.

"He redirected that punch with sheer force!" Drachma said.

"Three Sword Style," Zoro said in mid air, taking the position of his Cannon Technique, "One Hundred Eight Pound CANNON!" After he threw it, the Part of the Shot that was from Shuusui absorbed the other two blade's shots, "It's HUGE!" Zoro said when he landed. The Attack was heading dead center for Odz's Chest, but because of Odz's speed and Agility, was able to dodge it in the nick of time, having Zoro's technique hit the building behind him.

"DAMN! It missed him!" Usopp stated.

Zoro took a moment to see what happened as the smoke cleared from the building due to the hole he just made, "There's too much random destruction around that hole. That's proof that I'm still not good enough at using this sword. This is some blade you've given me, Swordsman Ryuuma."

Odz looked at the hole, "Did you do that? It seems that your weapons are pretty powerful. YOU BASTARD! I'll Crush You!" Odz started a Multi Stamp technique, trying to squash Zoro like a bug. Zoro kept on jumping around, "Stand Still and DIE!"

"Zoro's gonna be crushed!" Chopper yelled.

"Is he alright!?" Franky asked, nun Chucks at the ready.

"I've got to get further away from him," Zoro said to himself as he dodged the stomps, "Otherwise all I can do is Dodge."

Odz went for another stomp, which Zoro was already out of the way from, and then zoomed in and deflected the stomp as landed, knocking Odz off balance. As Odz was falling, Zoro jumped back, "Three Sword Style, TEN-"

"This should crush you too!" Odz said as he slowly fell towards Zoro. Zoro Jumped out of the way just before he landed, and then hid somewhere in the cloud of Dust.

"ZORO!" Chopper yelled.

"Heh heh heh. NOW I've flattened you, right?" Odz got up and looked down, "Huh?" Zoro wasn't there, "Where'd he go?"

"Three sword Style..."

"I can't see with all this smoke and dust."

"One Hundred Eight Pound CANNON!" It was almost a head shot, But Odz looked up to dodge it just in time again.

"That was close."

"Hmph, you dodged again, Huh? Damn Monster!"

"little wimp, You just keep running away!"

"Zoro!" Usopp said as Zoro jumped back towards the group, "Don't Over do it! Even if you DO beat him, we'll only get Luffy's Shadow back!"

"We have no ideas where your's or Sanji's Shadows are." Fina said.

"But If our Captains beat Moria all the shadow will be returned at once." Aika stated.

"Nobody has to Get hurt or Die by fighting this huge zombie! Let's just trust them and keep distracting this guy!" Usopp finished.

"I trust them," Zoro said, "But they have plenty of Obstacles too, Especially Luffy."

"Huh?"

"Trickery-An Invisible Man, A Spirit Being, A Shadow Master...This island is full of people with abilities that mess with you. We don't know if the enemy will even give them a fair fight, or even let Luffy have a chance to."

"You have a point," Robin stated.

"If they delay Luffy until dawn," Zoro continued, "Him, Me, Cook...All three of us will be unable to fight. BUT, if we return Luffy's Shadow before dawn, Then we'll make it...somehow."

Franky looked up at the sky, "I don't think we even have a half hour until dawn."

"But this sea is covered in mist," Confala reasoned, "Sunlight won't be able to reach everywhere."

"The sun's about to rise, huh," Sanji said, "So this mist is our last hope until dawn comes? I have to admit, I'm getting a really bad feeling about this."

The smoke from the field finally cleared, allowing Odz to see them, "Found you, little ones." The Ship began to shake. Thriller Bark had gotten caught in another current like earlier taking them out of the Florang Triangle. The mist had started to clear.

On another part of the Island, two men were watching the skies, "This is a really bad situation!" said the large one "Thriller Bark has come out from the mist!"

"We're doomed!" said the skinny one, "The sun's about to rise! Then we'll die too!"

"It's still too early to give up!"

"Our 'Rays of Hope' just got reinforcements and are fighting right now!" The big one looked up, "Hey! look at that! Moria's Shadow is flying towards the mansion!"

"What about it?"

"BAKA! don't you understand!? Straw hat and that other guy are chasing after him! If they follow that shadow, they'll both end up here! In other word~s, if we just wait he~re..."

"OH! I get it!"

"Okay, you go tell the captain and the others! We'll make sure to stop those two here to give them a hand."

"Got it!" The skinny one took off.

Back at Moria's Captains Quarters, Shadow Moria was almost there, and the Three Mini-Zombies were racing to tell him the Terrible news that Thriller Bark had left the Mist.

"I know, what about it?" Moria said as his Shadow re-attached itself to him, "we're Pirates, it doesn't matter where we sail." Moria paused as the three ran in and stopped. "Anyway, I have an important guest right now. SO LEAVE! Isn't that right, 'Tyrant' Kuma? The only one of the Warlords who actually Obeys the Government. The Government probably appreciates having you around, but what are you up to? You're the one that worries me most out of all of them."

"If you were to go on Vacation," Kuma asked, "Where would you like to go?"

"Hey, drop that. I at least KNOW what your ability is. Did you come here to fight me?" Kuma was silent, "Well, Speak up! Why are you here!?"

"I have an important message for you. The successor to the Demoted Warlord, Crocodile, has been chosen."

"Kishishishi," Moria laughed, "Why didn't you say so sooner? what sea is he from and who is he? They've got a lot of pirates to choose from."

"His name is Marshall D. Teach, more commonly known as Black Beard."

"Never heard of him."

"he used to be part of White Beard's First Division. He has caused a lot of trouble in the world. I guess the news hasn't reached the sea of mists. He was accepted after proving his power."

"What was his Former Bounty?"

"Zero."

"Ah, an unknown Value. I'm surprised the Government noticed him. Kishi. well, at least they finally filled that missing spot, right? Now the world's Equilibrium or whatever is restored, right?"

"No. I imagine the exact opposite, but no matter. the government is ore worried about something else."

"Hmm?"

"Ever since the Incident at Enis Lobby, They've been keeping a close eye on the Straw Hat's. If they followed th Log from Water 7 to Fishman island, there was a high chance they would end up here. Do you understand of what they're afraid of?"

"Hmm?"

"The Government fears that Another One of the Seven Warlords will fall at Straw Hat's Hands."

Moria rushed over from the Balcony he walked to earlier and Grabbed Kuma's Shirt, "Are you Kidding Me!?!? They're Worried about ME!?!?!? YOU'RE telling ME you came here to PROTECT me from a Bunch of Puny, Little, Half Assed PIRATES!?!?"

"If necessary," Kuma said in his same monotonous voice, "I would not object to assisting you."

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO!?!?!?!?!? You seriously think I, The Great Shadow Moria, can be beaten by an Inexperienced crew such as the Straw Hats!?"

"We can't be 100% sure of how a battle will end. During Enis Lobby, who would have guessed that Rob Lucci would Lose?"

"So NOW You're telling me that the Government is SO Afraid of this crew, They're sending TWO warlords to deal with them!? HUH!?!?"

"I am here to give them the report of what happens. I have no specific orders to help you."

"Then take a good look at what's gonna happen, and tell the Government THIS: 'The Straw Hat Pirate Crew, which caused you so much Trouble, Have all become a Part of Gecko Moria's ZOMBIE ARMY!' KISHISHISHISHI!"

Back at the Battle with Odz, the crew was still taking in what had happened.

"The Mist is gone." Drachma said, pointing out the Obvious.

"This is terrible," Franky said.

"That mist was our only hope," Usopp said.

"Who managed to set things up so the mist cleared up now!?" Sanji asked angrily, "Now the morning sun will hit us dead on!"

"Damn," Aika said, "In this situation, we have to hurry and do something about Odz."

Usopp looked over at Odz and saw some sort of Curtain spreading out from his stomach.

"Kishishishi. Unexpected, but the Pure Night Sky is beautiful."

Usopp fell backwards, "M-MORIA! It's Moria!"

"Where? Where!?" Fina asked, Cupil at the ready.

"Quit Joking," Drachma said, "Let's just beat the crap out of this thing so we can get these guys out of here."

"It's almost Dawn. Do you guys have time to be standing around?" Moria asked.

"Why are you here?" Piastol asked.

"What about our Captains?" Confala said, hovering above the ground.

"Huh?" Odz asked, "I hear my Master's Voice."

"Usopp, Piastol, Confala!" Zoro said, "Where did you say Moria was?"

"He's right there! Look!" Usopp said, pointing towards Odz.

"His stomach," Piastol Said.

"His stomach?" Aika asked.

"There he is!" Sakurai said.

"KISHISHISHISHI!"

"Damn that Hogback!" Chopper said, "Is this his doing too!?"

"What's Moria doing there?" Robin asked.

"Then..." Sanji started, "did they manage to trick both our captains after all?"

"Or did they..." Drachma started.

"NO WAY!" Aika shouted at him.

"Luffy would never lose!" Chopper said.

"Neither would Vyse," Piastol added.

"Right." Franky said.

Odz was still looking for Moria, "Weird, I heard Master's voice, but..." He looked down, "AHA! There! A cockpit? Why's there a cockpit in my stomach?"

"Kishishi-huh? Hey!" Odz was poking at Moria.

"heh, this is pretty well made, i wanna try ridin' in it too."

"Hey, Moron!" Moria insulted, kicking Odz's fingers, "Don't put your fingers in here!"

"Yes, Master." Moria acknowledged, "This is awesome! I'm like a robot." Odz stood strait up, "I'm a Giant Robot." Odz put his arms up, one of them hitting th nearby building, creating more falling debrie, nearly hitting Usopp and Sakurai. "I'm the Giant Robot: Odz...umm...BOMBER! Nice to meetcha!"

"What do you mean, Odz Bomber!?" Usopp yelled!

"How can a Zombie be a Robot!?" Franky asked, "A Robot needs t be more like...CLANG! CLANG!" Doing his signature pose in both directions.

"Heh heh!" Odz laughed, "Giant Robot! This increases the tension."

"Odz, Cut it out. Stop Shaking!"

"Yes, Master."

"Kishishishi! Now I'll give you a chance to fight...ME! If you beat me, I'll release all the shadows! Feel free to attack all at once. However, if you don't beat Odz, you can't touch me!"

"That Bastard!" Drachma said.

"That's Cheap!" Usopp said.

"If we don't beat Moria, we can't stop Odz," Fina said.

"But Moria is Inside Odz!" Chopper said.

"Nah," Sanji said, "Our target just got simpler."

"We've just gotta do this." Zoro said, "Usopp, that tiny amount didn't work, so go find a mountain of salt!"

"We have loads of salt on the Delphinus," Confala said, "I can fly Usopp there."

"We'll purify Odz with that," Zoro continued, "We'll weaken him as much as we can!"

"RIGHT!" said Franky as he got his Nun Chucks ready, "Leave this to us!"

Robin Crossed her arms, Chopper went to Full Human again, Drachma started Spirit Charging, Aika had her boomerang at the ready, Fina and Cupil were standing by, Piastol was in Her Bounty Hunter outfit and Scythe was ready, Sakurai had flames in her hands, Syreren was flying just above the ground, Daggers at the ready. Sanji took a puff of Smoke, "Hurry you two!"

"Alright! We got it" Usopp said as Confala grabbed his arms and took flight, "Let's go get it!"

"I know the Delphinus went this way," Confala said as she tried to fly far away enough from Odz's left.

"More then enough Salt, huh?" Moria said with an evil smile, "ODZ! Take out th Long Nose and The Bird Girl! Don't let them get away!"

"YES, MASTER!"

Everyone gasped, "USOPP!" Zoro shouted

"Confala!" Aika yelled.

Usopp looked back, "AHHHH! Fly faster! Fly Fas-" But it was too late. With a mighty punch, Odz had slammed them both into the building.

"DAMN!" Sanji swore, "Usopp!"

"Confala!" Fina said as her and Chopper headed towards them.

"Kishishishishi!"

"Damn!" Drachma said, "With that that Moria guy here now, This Odz guy has Brains, too!"

"Usopp!" Chopper yelled, "Where are you!?"

"Confala" Fina shouted, "Speak to us!"

"They're Fine!" Said a voice that was familiar to the Straw Hats. Everyone looked in the Direction of th voice as a Shadow came to the ground. It was Brook, how had grabbed Usopp and Confala in his arms, while holding a Green bag of Salt. "I thought we might need a lot of salt, So I went to the kitchen. I ha some refreshing milk too!"

"Who's the skeleton man with the Hairstyle?" Drachma asked.

"BROOK!?" Said all the Straw Hats.

"You saved us," Confala stated wearily

"You guys have a LOT of explaining to give to me when this whole mess is over, You Hear Me!?" drachma said, really irritated that he wasn't filled in already.

"One Thing at a time, Cap't. One thing at a time" Aika said.


	17. Chapter 18

(Sec 44) * * * * *

"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed.

"Brook, can you move?" Franky asked.

"HE JUST JUMPED FROM THE FREAKING SKY! Of course he can MOVE!" Drachma said.

"He took a beating earlier," Chopper stated, "But he seems fine to me."

"I truly was heavily injured," Brook said, "I dragged my body all the way to the kitchen in search for salt, THERE I found a bottle of milk, and drank it's delicious contents, and VOILA!"

"Like Calcium has that great of an effect!" Usopp shouted.

Brook got what looked like an angry look on his face, "Milk DOES heal fractured Bones, you know!"

"Don't lie!"

Sanji took another puff of smoke, "Well, either way, we've got tons of salt now. The walkway to the Kitchen was just destroyed, so the Delphinus is our last hope if we waste Brook's salt."

"My wings took to much of the blow," Confala stated, "I can't fly anymore."

"And my wings are barely strong enough to get me and someone else off the ground."

"It seems Brook's salt is our last hope then," Sanji said.

"There's no time left," Zoro said, "We Have To Fight! We throw the salt in that Monster's mouth before dawn, then beat up Moria, and it's Our Win!"

"But to think there's a cockpit," Franky started.

"It's still a body, you know," Drachma finished.

"KISHISHISHISHISHI!" Moria laughed again, "Be grateful I have joined the Front Line of the battle. You should be careful enough during the fight! I'm not just a passenger, I'll be your worst Nightmare! KISHISHISHISHISHISHI!"

"YOHOHOHOHOHO! I, of course, shall be joining the fight. I will give it my All!" Brook started spinning in place, "The dept of getting back my shadow for me cannot be paid back that easily, but I will give it my all!" He slide down to one knee, and his back cracked a little from carrying the heavy bag of salt. "*groan*"

"Don't push yourself," Zoro said, "Just hold onto that salt!"

Zoro ran towards Odz, while Sanji and Chopper took off in the other Direction.

"Lets do this!" Franky said, "I'll use my Anti-Monster-Shells!" He prepared his Weapons Left arm.

"'First move wins the battle'," Usopp quoted, "The last one seems to have been too small...FRANKY! It's all yours!" Usopp aimed his Kobuto, "ULTIMANTE SPECIAL: OIL STAR!" He shot directly at Moria.

"YOSH! Here it comes! FRESH FIRE!"

"FLAME THROWER!" Sakurai yelled, pitching in.

The Oil Star went threw the flames, becoming much larger then Usopp had hoped for, "TRANSFORM! SUPER EXTRA SIZED FIRBIRD STAR!"

Odz tried to block the giant flames, but his entire body started burning. "HOT! WAY TOO HOT! OUCH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

"YES!" Usopp said triumphantly.

"How's That!?" Sakurai asked.

"Yosh!" Franky said, "Now prepare 'You Know What'!"

"Huh?" Usopp said, "Oh YEAH!"

"Embarrassing," Moria said, arms crossed, "Don't whine, Odz! Feeling burns and pain in general are illusions from when you were still human! Against you Zombies, THAT won't work. Now calm down and put out that FIRE!"

"Huh!? Now that you mention it, it's not hot at all."

"Now's the time, Zoro!" Chopper said.

"Yosh!" Zoro ran towards Chopper, who was in his Human form. Chopper cupped his hands and crouched. Zoro had his arms crossed to as he ran towards Chopper. Zoro jumped and landed in Chopper's Hands, who then sent Zoro strait up the building that was behind them. Sanji walked up next to Chopper, ready to attack Odz.

Zoro braced himself, "Three Sword Style...GREAT BUDDHA CUT!" He zoomed to the side of the Building, slicing it through, and he went back and forth from there, Creating Large Chunks for Sanji to Kick at Odz.

Sanji ran towards the Building, "Take this! JENGA CANNON!" Sanji kicked the Bottom sectio towards Odz, who was distracted by putting out the flames on his body. He hit Odz in the Stomach, "TAKE THIS, TOO! And THIS! And THIS! And THIS! And THIS!" Sanji had sent the Last Five Chunks Towards Odz. Odz was wise now, though.

"YOU BASTARD!" Odz swung his arm so now the Chunks were being sent towards Robin, Franky, Brook, and Syreren.

"Twenty Flure!" Robin said, Grabbing brook since he could still barely move all that fast.

"WEAPONS LEFT! Franky shot three charges at the stone chunks destroying three.

"DEMON SLICE!" Syreren went around the fifth chunk several times before it turned to harmless dust.

"DAMN!" Chopper said, "He used the Attack against us!"

"You guys alright!?" Sanji asked.

The four of them gave a thumbs up.

Drachma went over to help Usopp with whatever thing he just made, "What is this sling shot looking thing?"

"My New Weapon, The KUWAGATA!"

Drachma grabbed the thing and pushed Usopp aside, and started running away, pulling the thing tight.

Franky ran over and saw the new weapon. He struck his signature pose, "SUPER!"

"Nice to hear you're 'Super'," Drachma said, "But this thing is starting to strain my Arm trying to hold it back this far. Long Nose! Get over here and aim thi thing, will ya!?"

"Is it ready, Usopp?" Franky asked.

"Yes, but I made this while experimenting, so no guarantee if it'll work."

"HOP IN ALREADY!" Drachma said impatiently.

"Shoot me right at the Stomach."

"ULTIMANTE IRON MAN COMET!"

As Franky flew he got his Left Arm ready, "That's some SUPER Acceleration. PREPARE YOURSELF! These shells are Trench Mortar to use against Sea Monsters and Sea Kings! I'll rip open a Hole!" Franky was closing in, "EAT THIS, MORIA!" Franky started blasting, but Odz dodged and was about ready for a Kick.

"DAMN!" Zoro said, "I keep forgetting he has Luffy's Agility!"

Odz kicked Franky strait into a wall. Drachma could care less at this point. He grabbed the Kuwagata again and then Launched Himself while Odz was distracted.

"FRAAAAAANKYYYY!" Usopp yelled. Franky was out cold as Odz Walked over.

"Not yet Odz," Moria said, "He's still breathing. KILL HIM!"

"Yes Mast-"

"HAND OF FATE!" Drachma yelled. Odz's Back was to him, but that should be enough. He sent Odz flying into another building, a safe distance away from Franky.

"THUNDER BOLT...! A dark cloud was coming over the Fallen Odz."TEMPO!" A huge bold of Lightning struck Odz.

"DAMN IT!" Moria cursed, "Who Did This!?"

"That was from the Clima Tact!" Sanji said, "Is Nami-san alright!?" Sanji looked around until we saw part of a Broken Brige, "NAMI-SWAN! NAMI-SWAN! NAMI-SWAN! NAMI-SWAN! NAMI-SWAN! NAAAAAMI-SWAAAAAAAN!"

"DON'T SHOUT AT ME! They'll know where I'm at!"

Sanji stopped cheering for a moment as his eyes watered up and started crying, "Thank God! Thank God! Please forgive Bridger being so Unreliable, Nami-San!"

"This guy is too noisy," Zoro stated.

Odz woke up.

"Odz, show her your REAL Strength!"

"GUM GUM...!"

"WHAT? WHAT!? Can He Stretch!?!?" Nami panicked.

"He can't hit her from there," Chopper said.

"NOW!" Zoro yelled to Usopp, "Get Franky Out of here!"

"PISTOL!" Odz's Arm Stretched the distance, hitting the Bridge Nami was on.

Everyone stared and gasped at what just happened.

"WHAT IN HELL WAS THAT!?" Drachma said, still not filled in on this world.

"He used Luffy's Gum Gum Ability!" Chopper said, "BUT HOW!?"

"It stretched" Odz said, looking at his arm, "That seems so familiar."

"KISHISHISHI!"

"No way!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Nami!" Aika yelled as she ran with Sanji to go catch her.

"NAMI-SWAN!"

Chopper heard Nami screaming, "OVER THERE!" Nami was being held in the air by one of Robin's Arm Ropes. "Robin saved her!"

Robin brought Nami down next to her, "What a surprise. Are you alright, Nami?"

"Thank you!" Nami panted, "You saved me."

Zoro stepped over to where Nami, Brook, Robin, and Confala were at. "Something bad just happened," Zoro stated.

"Why did his arms stretch?" Syreren said as she helped Usopp bring Franky over with the others.

"There should only be One Rubber Man in the world!" Sanji stated.

"KiShiShiShiShi! KIShiShiShiShiShiShi!"

"Moria," Zoro said to himself, "He must have done something."

"Damn Him!" Sanji said.

"GUM GUM...WHIP!" Odz ha sent a stretched kick to attack everyone, since they all gathered in One spot.

"Now that he can stretch," Aika said, "He's a Real Monster Version of Luffy!"

"Where are They!?" Fina asked.

Back in the woods with Vyse and Luffy, they were still trying to find Moria.

"we have to get back, Fast!" Luffy said to Vyse.

"We're running as fast as we can!"

a Vine on the ground was pulled tightly just as they ran by, tripping them both.

"Sorry!" said the Large man, I only wanted to stop you both, not trip you.

"Who the Heck are you guys!?" Both captains said simultaneously, "We're in a Hurry! What do you want!?"

"We know you're in a hurry," The skinny one said as other people came from the woods.

"Just hear us out," the large one said, "You guys are our only hope. we've been searching for you!"

"Huh?" The captains said again.

"We're underlings of Marriage Lola's Pirate Crew, The Rolling Pirates called The Risky Brothers!" the skinny one said.

"You want to defeat Gecko Moria of the Mansion, right?" The large one said. He grabbed Luffy's shoulder.

"And? Who the heck are you guys!?" Luffy asked.

"We know the secret behind Moria's Ability!" The large one said.

"We'll give you incredible Strength!" The skinny one said, "We beg you! PLEASE beat that guy!"

"Secret? Strength!?" The skinny one grabbed Luffy's other shoulder.

"Deal?" the Risky Bros. asked.

"AGAIN! Who the Heck Are You Guys!?"

"I introduce you: The Rolling Pirate Crew's Captain, Marriage Lola!" The large one said.

"Total Marriage Proposal Count is 4443."

"I love you, Marry me?"

"Nope," Luffy said.

"Already married," Vyse said, holding up hi wedding ring.

"4445!" the Risky Bros. shouted, "In short, we're all victims of the Shadow stealing, Like Luffy, and we wander in the Darkness of the Forest."

"yeah, So I gotta hurry and get it back!"

"You're Straw Hat Luffy, right?" Lola asked, "There has never been such a shock on Thriller Bark like tonight!"

"All three Enigma of Moria have been Defeated, and the Mansion is almost in Total Ruin," The Large one stated.

"Ever since you guys showed up," the skinny one started, "We've been in pure excitement."

"But, even with those victories," The large one said, "The Enemy has revived the Rumored Special Zombie."

"With our Victims Network, We know the Current situation!"

"Our shadows were taken 3 Years ago, and we can't stand the life of shadows. If you defeat Moria, everyone will be free!"

"But there's the problem, do you know Moria's Whereabouts? He's inside that Monster's Stomach!"

"WHAT!?" Vyse exclaimed

"He got Eaten!?" Luffy shouted.

"Not like that," Th skinny brother answered, "There's a Cockpit in the Stomach. You have to beat the Special Zombie or you can't lay a Finger on Moria."

"Right now, as we speak, he's helping Odz fight your Crews in the mansion Courtyard!"

"What did you say!?" Vyse asked as he and Luffy turned to run.

"We have no time to lose!"

"I said wait a minute!" Lola said, grabbing them by there collars. "No more explanations! Give Luffy the Secret behind the Shadow and he'll Understand."

The Risky Bros ran off and came back a few seconds later with a Shadow.

"A Shadow?" Luffy asked?

"A Shadow driven Out By Salt is Catchable, even by us!"

Two men grabbed Luffy and then the Risky Bros. shoved the Shadow into Luffy's Body.

"GAH! It's Stuck in me! Stop it! I'm Losing Conscious-" But he absorbed the Shadow. Luffy then fell on his back.

"And?" Lola asked as she, the Risky Bros., and Vyse leaned over, "Are you alright?"

Luffy got up, "Yeah."

"You know how to use a sword?"

"Not in the slightest."

"A SWORD!"

A sword was thrown threw the air. Luffy turned around, a gleam in his eye, he raised a hand and grabbed the sword with a stretched out arm. With the sword in hand, Luffy sliced a nearby tree to perfect Fire Logs. Luffy sheathed the sword before he snapped out of it, "What the heck was that!?"

"That shadow used to belong to a Marine Swordsman. You now have his skill."

"Huh!?" Luffy and Vyse said, confused.

"The Strength of the Shadow has added it's power to you."

"And as long as you are conscious, we can put as many shadows as we want into you, making you even more super human then you are now."

"By using Moria's ability," Lola started, "We can use it against him by powering you up tremendously!"

"We have more shadows. However," The skinny Brother started, "If your mental strength is too weak, you'll pass out and all will be lost."

"Why do you have so many?" Vyse asked.

"In order to get OUR shadows back, we have been purifying Zombies, but all we have done is find random people's other shadows."

"When a Shadow is but in the Dead, it becomes a Zombie, but in a Living person like you, the Shadow won't merge. It will leave after 10 minutes!"

"So we're going to make this quick because of the Rising sun approaching, but the 10 minutes starts after the last Shadow is in."

Several men brought over a huge supply of Shadows.

"SO MANY!?" Luffy exclaimed.

"We have 20 minutes until dawn," Lola stated, "You both have to hurry! Our limit is 2 or 3, but your spirit, Luffy, could take another 20 to 30."

"Huh?" A couple of men grabbed Luffy and the rest started shoving Shadow after Shadow into him, "AHHHH!"

"SUPER NORO NORO BEAM!" Again, the Light Blue Light covered the Island. Jones stepped onto the Delphinus. As he looked around, he noticed The whole crew was up. 'That won't do at all' he thought. he went over to Kaya and Maria and took them to their rooms and put them to sleep using another ability. "You two shouldn't have to deal with this much excitement this early in the morning." Jones went Over to Vyse's Sword Closet. He looked through it, "Aha! here they are." He took out the Dream Cutlasses and put back the Sky Fangs. He vanished and reappeared next to Vyse. He put the swords in one hand, and 5 Moon Berries in the other. "It's time you learned a new skill as well, brother," Jones disappeared again, and the flow of time returned to normal.

Vyse looked down and saw the Moon Berries. "Jones...what are you up to?" Vyse popped the Berries in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. His eyes zoned out for a moment as his body took in the new energy. His eyes came back into focus, held his Dream Cutlass' properly, "Pirates of Old... Let Me Unleash The True Power of These Blades! SWORD SPECIAL!" A Portal opened up underneath Vyse, and he disappeared.

Later, after the Rolling Pirates had Stuffed Luffy with Shadows, they stood there in Aww. "This man..." Lola said, "How strong is his mentality!? Ive never seen anything like it!"

"100 Shadows!?" The Skinny Brother said, "He absorbed all 100 Shadows!?!?"

"This is unbelievable!" The Large Brother said, "Just as expected from our 'Star of Hope'!" Luffy stood there, breathing heavily, an angry look on his Face."Oi! Are you alright? Are you still yourself? Straw Hat Luffy?"

"Yeah, I'm still me," He chuckled, "My power is exploding! I can't even stop it."

Nine men came over, carrying a Large Sword. "Take it Straw Hat!" Luffy wielded it with one arm.

"I wonder how strong this kid is know?" Lola asked.

"I want to fight! I'm getting impatient here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Vyse stepped out of another Portal. He now had a very strong looking body, and was wearing a White Uniform instead of a Blue one, and there was Gold instead of Red cloths. Vyse had this Shiny Aura around him. "We'll make your Dream to see the Sun again come true," Vyse said, "Luffy, let's go show that Moria a REAL Nightmare!"

Nightmare Luffy and Dream Vyse took off towards the Mansion, Destroying any Trees in there way. "Wait for us, MORIA!" Luffy shouted.


	18. Chapter 19

(Sec 45) * * * * *

At the Battle of Odz, Odz had jumped into the air. "GUM GUM..."

"Here he comes!" Zoro warned.

"BELL!" Odz stretched his neck and head butted the ground, scattering everybody. "This stretching thing feels really good. GUM GUM"

"NOT AGAIN!" Usopp cried.

"SPEAR!" He struck the ground again, casting everyone even further.

"DAMN IT!" Sanji said, "What's going on!? His fighting power has gone through the roof! Why is his body stretching without the Fruit's Powers?"

"What did you do, Moria?" Zoro asked himself.

"Kishishishi! YES, this is your nightmare, The Shadow Shadow Power's. SHADOW REVOLUTION!"

"Revolution?" Brook asked.

"A Shadow follows the form of the substance it reflects. That is natural. The Substance and the Shadow MUST ALWAYS hold the same shape. THIS is Undeniable Truth! BUT now, Odz's Shadow, which SHOULD be controlled by Odz's Movements," Shadow Moria half way came out of Odz's Shadow, "has been invaded by mine, and is being controlled! Do you know what this means? I can change Odz's Shape at MY will. But the Substance and the Shadow must ALWAYS be the same shape, but now the Shadow isn't reflecting the Substance, The Substance is reflecting the Shadow! THAT is 'Shadow Revolution'!"

"So," Drachma said, "He's reversed the Laws of Nature. So when the Shadow Stretches, so does the Beast."

"So he hasn't turned into a Rubber Man," Sanji stated.

"Yeah," Zoro answered, "but we won't be able to close in on him like this."

"Speak for yourselves," Syreren said as she started flying again.

'I wonder if now is a good time to test out that part of my ability...?' Sakurai thought to herself as she got fire ready in her hands. Concentrating on the Flames, Sakurai sent powerful fire blasts underneath herself, launching her upwards. "Alright! Time to Soar and Singe!" Sakurai flew strait at Odz. Odz swung at her, but she knew he was going to try and hit her. She started flying circles around Odz, dodging everything thrown at her as she got faster and faster, "FLAME TORNADO!"

"Hey, cut that out!" Odz said, "Fire doesn't work on me, remember?" Odz finally slammed Sakurai into a wall, knocking her out.

"Sakurai!" Syreren yelled as she flew at Odz, "I'll make you pay for that! Take this!" Syreren flew up to Odz's Right Shoulder and started biting it. "NOM NOM NOM NOM!...Hey, this tastes pretty good!"

"Why you," Odz said, raising a hand to smack her off. He hadn't noticed Drachma walking over to Odz's feet.

"HAND OF FATE!" Drachma swung his arm to the side, knocking the feet out from under Odz, allowing Syreren to fly back to the group after she grabbed Sakurai. "That wasn't the brightest of moves, kid."

"Well excuse me for not being a monster like the rest of you!"

Odz got back up. Moria started laughing again. "Kishishishi! If I make his shadow into a circle, SO DOES ODZ!"

"What the HECK is that thing!?" Aika asked.

"For...real?" Sanji asked as he dropped his cigarette.

Usopp got up and looked over at what everyone was gawking at.

"ODZ BALL! Take this!" Odz started rolling forward. Everyone ran away until Odz made a full rotation and stopped.

"Oi! OI! Stop this, Master!" Odz complained, "This is MY fight."

"Kishishi, Sorry, I didn't mean to do so. I'll just support you until this is over. Now, Odz, CRUSH THEM ALL! One-By-One!"

"Where's Luffy?" Nami asked, "And why isn't Vyse here either?"

"Vyse is with Luffy," Usopp answered, "But they were tricked by Moria and are off elsewhere searching for him."

"What!? Those idiots!"

"Hey! Watch what you call my husband!"

Nami's thoughts were elsewhere, though. 'What should I do? Is it a good idea to tell them ANOTHER Warlord is on the island?' "Is this a 'First defeat Luffy's Zombie, then Moria, Or no Shadow will return' situation?"

"Something like that," Fina replied.

"You're JOKING! It's almost dawn!" Nami said in frustration.

"This is what the Enemy Planned!" Usopp said in an angry tone, "There's nothing but to go by it!"

"My apologies!" Brook said on all fours, bowing to the others, "I have a favor to ask of you. Listen to my idea!"

Zoro looked down at Franky, then switched it over to Odz before he started Charging.

"It's dangerous to get too close to him, Zoro!" Chopper stated.

"Thank you, everyone." Brook said.

"This shouldn't be a problem," Drachma replied, Usopp right behind him on the Kuwagata, aiming Brook.

"Are you sure about this, Brook?" Usopp asked, "You saw what happened to Franky, right?"

"Don't try putting ANY responsibility over this on me," Nami told Brook, "I'm not holding anything back, so get ready! DARK CLOUD TEMPO!" Dark clouds blinded Moria's Vision.

"Whenever you're ready!" Brook said.

"I can't believe we're using the Kuwagata again," Usopp moaned.

"Shut Up an AIM, boy!" Drachma said.

"There would be nothing more painful than to be unable to repay my debt." Brook said more to himself then anyone else. Robin wrapped several arms around Brook while Nami got ready to finish her part. "No matter what happens, I'll do my best!"

"FIRE!" Usopp shouted as Drachma let go.

"Slalom Vine!" Robin said, making Brook spin.

"Thunder Bolt Tempo!" Nami yelled as Brook went through her Dark Cloud.

Brook put his sword strait in front of himself, "The acceleration was so fast that it made my Bones Show! Even though I was nothing but Bones to Start! YOHOHOHO! Now here I go, Like an Arrow of Thunder!" Brook emerged from the cloud at such high speeds, Odz wasn't able to react in time, "Lightning Bone Sword!"

"AWESOME!" Usopp said.

"He went strait through the Shoulder!" Drachma said.

Brooke hit the building wall behind Odz. "He skewered through my Shoulder!"

"Mission...Accom...plished" brook said, hanging halfway out of the wall.

"Great job, Bonie!" Zoro said, still charging Odz, "Two Sword Style: DOUBLE CUTTER! TOWER CLIMBING!" Zoro sent two slashes through Odz going from the top of his Right Leg, to his Left Shoulder.

"YOU...no. FIRST," Odz turned towards Brook, "I'll finish off the skeleton. GUM GUM..."

"He wouldn't!?" Usopp shouted

"AXE!"

"Brook!" Nami, Zoro and Sanji yelled.

"I think we've been out of this fight long enough, right Piastol? Fina?" Aika asked. "Hit it with everything you have! OMEGA CYCLONE!"

"MOONS! Petrify My Enemy!" Fina Froze Odz just long enough for Aika to unleash an explosion nearby Moria.

"Tempest Dance!" Piastol ran towards the dazed Odz, sending a downwards slice on his torso, she then sent two kicks that went across his body. She did a back flip and ran towards Odz, who was now on the defensive, but when she was about to attack she vanished, appearing behind him and sending another slash down his back. When she appeared back with the group, she was greeted by a Fist, courtesy of Odz, sending her through a wall, knocking her out. This gave Drachma another chance to get in a hit.

"HAND OF FATE!" Drachma used his over sized hand to grab Odz's fist when it was withdrawing, allowing Drachma to get in a close punch. "DIE ALREADY!" Punching Odz in the Face again and again. Odz raised a hand to punch Drachma back, and Drachma was too distracted to notice, which resulted in him getting thrown into a wall as well, knocking him out cold.

"ULTIMANE ATLAS COMET!" Usopp shouted as he fired.

Odz put his arm up, blocking his shot, "NO EFFECT!"

"Usopp! Continue Fighting!" Nami said as she ran away.

"HEY! W-Wait a minute, what-"

"You're NEXT! Long nose guy! GUM GUM..." Odz put his arms back.

Usopp started running away, but tripped, "I'm DEAD!"

"BAZOOKA!" His arms went forward, but only to their natural length.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH...huh?"

"What? It doesn't stretch?" Odz said, pulling on his arm.

"Ochenta(80) Flure" Robin said, arms crossed, "Quatro(4) Mano(arms)"

Usopp landed and looked behind him to see Moria was in a choke hold. "What's with all these hands?" Moria had difficulty speaking, "What did you do?"

"Won't you stop that Shadow Thing for me?" Robin asked Moria.

"HUH!?"

"HOLD!"

"*GASP* You're Choking Me!"

"Great job, Robin." Fina complimented.

"Kishishi. Do you think you've taken me down with this? How irritating you are." Shadow Moria came out of Odz's Shadow, "BRICK BAT!"

As the bats charged, Fina yelled out, "MOONS! Petrify my enemies!"

The Bats froze in mid air and fell splattering on the ground. But her reaction was too slow when they popped back up and came again. The bats started biting Robin and Fina.

"ROBIN-CHWAN!" Sanji yelled.

"FINA!" Aika shrieked.

"Veinte(20) Flure! CALENDULA!" She started spinning 10 arms on each elbow, deflecting the bats, but they started going for the legs and heads, eventually knocking both of them down.

"ROBIN!" Nami shouted.

"Fina!" Confala yelled.

"Whaddya Think you're doing to those ladies!?" Sanji said as he ran over and started kicking like mad.

The bats were splattered all over the place, but they all rejoined on the ground behind Robin and Fina.

"So, we're going with a Long-range Battle, eh? This technique is a handy one."

'I mustn't let Shadow Moria distract me.' Robin thought, 'if I stop the Substance, I'll stop the Shadow with it.' Robin stood up, "Quatro Mano."

"Hey! Why...What...Stop!" Moria was having a harder time breathing.

"CLUTCH!"

"GAHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Why to go Robin!" Nami shouted.

"OI! ROBIN!" Zoro shouted, "Watch out for the Shadow behind You!"

"Kishishishishishi! Kishishishishishishi!" The Shadow was still behind her and Fina, but it had the head of the Real Moria. The Shadow Moria Dissolved as Moria appeared. "Kishishishishishi! Kishishishishishishi!"

"Why is Moria HERE!?" Aika asked.

"That was a close one, But unfortunately for you, I and Shadow Moria can switch locations at ANY time."

"He switched places?" Syreren asked.

"But then, that mean the one Robin crushed," Confala started as she looked over to Odz.

"Is someone who isn't effected by that attack, MY Shadow Fighter!" Moria finished for her. Robin and Fina both looked back at Moria, who had grabbed there shadows from the ground and was picking them up, Giant scissors in the other hand. Both fell back down when he picked them up completely. Both shadows struggled to get free.

"ROBIN-CHWAN!"

"FINA!" Aika yelled.

"Kishishishishi." *ChiClang!*

Robin's and Fina's Eyes went wide, and then they both fainted.

"KISHISHISHISHISHISHI! That's Five down, Eight to go!" Moria looked at the Shadows, "I have nothing to put you in now, so I'll hold onto you my...self?" Moria looked over at Sanji and Aika. Sanji had just gotten his Diamble Jamble up, while Aika had two boomerangs out.

"Diamble, JAMBLE!" Sanji said and took off running, Aika along side of him. "You damn Bastard!" Sanji jumped in the air and went for Moria's head, "Give back their Shadows!"

"FLAME THROWERS!" Aika yelled as she spun her two boomerangs around in front of her, causing to Jets of Flame to Fire at Moria.

"EXTRA MINCED MEAT!"

Moria just smiled, "Brick Bat." as Sanji started Kicking and Aika's attack had just hit Moria, He was mostly Shadow Moria again, except for the head, now in mid air, "Kishishishishishi!"

"HE SWITCHED AGAIN!?" Sanji said outraged. The bats bit him and Aika a few times before flying off. To Moria and Odz again.

"Then that means," Nami started, "Moria is back in Odz!"

"Kishishi! And all is how it was!"

"Damnit, Master! I told you it's MY Fight!"

"I am sorry, Odz. I stole a bit of the action."

Odz looked at Robin and Fina, "I'll finish off those Women right now!" Odz jumped in the air, "GUM GUM..." He set his arms back, actually stretching this time, "BAZOOKA!"

"DIAMBLE JAMBLE! Fried Assortments!"

"FIRE HURRICANE!" Aika shouted, giving Sanji an extra boost towards Odz's Hands. The force of their Combined Blasts separated the attack, making Odz miss.

"Use this chance and get the Ladies off the Battle Field!" Sanji commanded.

Nami and Usopp ran over and took them to the sidelines.

"EVERYONE!" Chopper yelled from Odz's right Shoulder, "UP HERE!"

"Chopper?" What are you doing?" Sanji asked.

"I was searching for the cause of Odz dying 500 years ago. Aim for his Right Arm! This isn't Odz's Original Arm! He's been fixed up well by Hogback, but the Joints show signs of severe Frostbite. I can't be sure of it, but the cause of his death 500 years ago was most likely by freezing. Even a monster like this is no match for Nature. He died wandering a Country of Ice. And the reason why is 500 years ago, Odz probably Wasn't wearing anything either!"

"I'm not gonna lose to an idiot like that!" Sanji and Zoro said.

"Zombies don't feel pain," Chopper continued, but they still take Damage. He HAS been affected by all of our attacks so far, too! If we get rid of this arm, his attack power will Half!"

"What are you babbling about, standing on my shoulder!?" Odz finally said as he took his left hand and slammed his Right Shoulder.

"CHOPPER!" Zoro yelled.

Odz lifted his hand, "What? Not There?"

"That punch ALSO inflected damage to your body," Chopper said, "Even though you, as a Zombie, Don't Feel A Thing!"

Odz looked at his hand, "There you are!"

"Since I am small, your fist is FULL of places to crawl into. RUMBLE! Jumping Point! ARM POINT!"

"Chopper!" Sanji said, running up Odz's arm, "Nice Dodging. I'll lend you a hand!"

"Sanji, go for it!"

Sanji jumped into the air, "AIR FORCE..." Chopper pitched in, "Kokutei Roseo SHOOT!" The force of the blow sent Odz into a wall, also leaving a Hoof Imprint on this Right Arm.

"YOU BASTARD! How many times are you gonna attack the Same Place!? It doesn't change the fact that it Won't Work!"

"You'll see," Chopper snapped back, "PAIN is a signal to protect the body. NOT feeling it doesn't make you stronger at all!"

"JUST SHUT UP!" Odz lept into the air.

"HEY!" Zoro warned, "Watch out you guys! Get out of the way, somehow!"

"This is it..." Chopper said, unable to do anything in mid-air.

"...SHIT!" Sanji said.

"GUM GUM...GATLING GUN!"

Nami gasped as she fell to her knees, "Another two...Everyone...is being...defeated."

"Damnitall!" Usopp said.

"KISHISHISHISHISHI! Kishishishishi! Six...SEVEN! KISHISHISHISHI! Just Six Left!"


	19. Chapter 20

(Sec 46) * * * * *

"Kishishishishi! Kishishishishi! Kishishishishi! Kishishishishi!"

"Only Six Left, Master"

Moria looked at the field. Nami, Usopp and Zoro were left of the Straw Hats. Confala, Syreren and Aika were left from the Blue Rouges. "Crush them and get this over with, Odz!"

"We can't defeat this thing!" Nami paniced.

"There's no hope Left!" Usopp shouted.

"HEY!" Aika protested, "We can try and signal the Delphinus. We can get everyone out of here and fire everything we have at it."

"Why didn't you do that earlier!?" Zoro asked.

"We would have! But we didn't want to hurt you guys since you were right there."

"I...I'll go." Confala said.

"Can you fly?" Syreren asked.

"Not as fast as I'd like to, but it seems our only option."

"I'll help you out."

"You two go, then," Sanji said, "we'll provide some cover."

"Usopp." Zoro called, "I'm making an opening, Do your job."

As Syreren and Confala left the field, Zoro charged at Odz before Usopp got what he was told. "Zoro, wait! What do you mean?" then it hit him, "I see! That's gotta be it! GOTCHYA!"

"What?" Aika asked.

"What is it? Usopp!" Nami said.

Odz saw Zoro charging, "GUM GUM...PISTOL!" Zoro jumped to dodge the punch, But Odz had already started another attack, "GUM GUM...BELL!"

"One Hundred Eight Pound CANNON!"

The Attacks met each other, stopping both opponents, but the after effect of the blast sent Zoro into a wall. Odz was about to strike ad Zoro knew it. He jumped as soon as he could and landed on the ground, coughing a little. Odz threw another punch, but Zoro narrowly dodged. As soon as he landed another punch was heading his way, and so he dodged again.

Zoro Panted for a couple of seconds when he got far enough away, "Because of his relentless attacks, I can't fight back. What about Usopp?"

Usopp was back with the Kuwagata aiming the bag of Salt. "This is the greatest battle in the life of the Man, Usopp. Don't you move!"

Aika rushed over to help him pull it back.

Zoro saw that Usopp was almost ready, so he turned back to Odz, "OI! Monster!"

"Huh?"

"I'd love to play with you a little longer, but dawn approaches. So I'm going to end this soon."

"What?"

"Kishishishishi! What are you saying? You're will to live is so strong that you STILL think you can win?"

"Yeah!"

"EH!? What an arrogant fellow."

Zoro pointed his new Black Blade at Moria, "I'm bad with giving up, so...Bring It On, Monster! I'll cut you down."

"Odz. He's making fun of you! SMASH HIM!"

Odz jumped in the air, "MASTER! I decide when I finish this! Butt out! GUM GUM..."

"One Gorilla...Two Gorilla...Three Sword Style-"

"PISTOL!"

"Two Arm Strength Slash!"

As Odz's Attack met Zoro's, Zoro struggled to deflect it, but he eventually did.

"DAMN YOU!" Odz shouted. "Huh? My hand is stuck in the ground. I can't get out!"

"Three Sword Style" Zoro had jumped into the air. He crossed his swords, "NIGHT CROW!" He started summer salting all over Odz's Right Arm, making what looked like Crow's feet all over the skin. When Zoro landed, the attack was unleashed at it's full, stinging the hell out of Odz's Arm.

"What?" Nami said, shocked, "It worked!?"

"NOW, USOPP!"

"My right arm again? Again and again, I told you It Doesn't Work!" Odz tried punching Zoro again, but Zoro jumped into the air. "Stupid Little Man!" Odz moved with such quickness, Zoro didn't see where he went off to. As he looked behind himself, he was greeted by Odz's Knee, slamming him through another Mansion Wall.

"ZORO!" Nami cried out. Zoro fell, the Wado was out of his mouth and blood draining from him. Zoro was out.

"It's my victory." Odz said quietly.

"HEY! Odz!" Usopp and Aika yelled.

"Huh?" Odz turned towards them. When they saw him looking they let go, launching the Salt into Odz's Mouth.

"Yes." Usopp said, panting heavily.

"What?" Odz asked, "Did something go in my mouth?"

"It couldn't be..." Moria said, the smile wiped off his face.

"Usopp...," Nami asked, "Just now, that was..."

"I did it. WE Did It!" Usopp shouted, "Odz Ate the Salt!"

"How that!?" Aika asked, overjoyed.

"Salt?" Nami asked, "Why salt?"

"Ah, right!" Usopp replied, "You don't know. Salt is a Zombie's weakness."

"Look!" Aika exclaimed, "Odz's Shadow is emerging!"

Odz was trembling as he tried to get control of his body.

"Luffy's Shadow has been freed!" Usopp celebrated, "You've been Banished, Monster Zombie! It's OUR win!"

Odz stood strait up, his one eye rolled back into his head.

Usopp was still celebrating until he actually saw the Shadow coming from Odz's Mouthe WASN'T Luffy's, but Shadow Moria, who was holding the bag of Salt.

"KISHIshishishi! That was close, wasn't it?"

"Why?" Usopp questioned, "Moria's Shadow..."

"I was Guarding him from the Inside the whole Time! Kishishi! What a damn fool. You thought I wouldn't protect his One Weakness once you knew what it was!? BAKA! KISHISHISHISHI! KISHIshishishishi!"

"DAMN!" Usopp cursed, now on all fours.

"Isn't this YOURS, Long Nose?" Shadow Moria threw the Bag of Salt at Usopp, who looked up just in time to have it smack him, knocking him back, and bursting the bag of salt to shreds.

"KISHISHISHISHI!"

"Usopp?" Aika asked.

Usopp coughed a few times, got up and saw the salt on the ground. He crawled over as fast as he could, "This is Bad! The SALT! The last we can get! The salt Brook risked to get us! DAMN! He made a fool out of me!"

Odz foot rose and placed it over Usopp, "GUM GUM..."

"SMASH THEM!"

"STAMP!"

The force of the blow knocked back Nami and Aika. They both were lying on the ground, but got their heads up to see Odz was repeatedly stomping them.

"Usopp. USOPP!"

There was a small stream of blood going down both of their faces as they could do nothing but watch what happened to him.

"Stop it! STOP IT!! Usopp!" Both red heads shouted at the top of their lungs.

"KISHISHISHISHISHI! Kishishishishishi!"

"STOP IT NOW!"

"Not Yet! Beat him to pieces, and then get those women, too!" Odz jumped in the air, and brought his feet down where the last two fighters were, "KISHISHISHISHI! SMASH THEM! SMASH THEM!! Smash Each And Every Last One Of Them! EVEN The Ones Who You Already Beat! There's Still Life Left In Them!" Odz continues stomping.

In the Building behind Odz there was a Large Hole. One of them had Blue-grey looking skin. The other was Shining Bright White.

"Hey, Big Guy..." The Dark One said. Odz stopped in mid stomp.

"Who do you think you're trying to smash?" The Bright One said.

Odz looked down, then turned around to look at the two men.

"There's no one under your foot." The Dark One spoke again. He was holding Usopp and Nami, while his counterpart was holding Aika.

Usopp spoke first, "We're safe? I don't know who you guys are," he started looking up, "but that was almost really dangero-HUH!?"

"No way!?" Aika said as she looked at the two men.

"Who are you guys?" Odz questiond.

"I am..." The Dark One started, "Monkey D. Luffy!"

"I am..." The Bright one Started, "Dyne D. Vyse!"

"Lu-Lu-LUFFY!?" Nami and Usopp shouted.

"Vy-Vyse?" Aika said, shocked.

"How!?" Usopp started, "You look like them, but...Are You Serious!? Is it really you?"

"It's really us," Luffy replied.

"We'll explain later," Vyse started. Just stay here. We'll take on Mr Beasty here.

"Luffy has Transformation Power, too?" Moria asked, "And who's the other guy?"

"You guys should know," Usopp started explaining, still unsure about them, "That's the Zombie with Luffy's Shadow in it! He can Stretch his body and has copied Luffy's Techniques as well!"

"What are they talking about, Master?"

"It doesn't matter. Smash Them!"

"Of Course. GUM GUM..." Odz stretched his arm back, twisting it around, "RIFEL!"

Odz swung the punch, but Vyse and Luffy put up a hand to stop it dead in it's tracks. The three crewmates just stood in aww of what happened.

"WHAT!?" Moria protested.

"I...am the only...LUFFY!" Luffy rushed in so fast that Odz couldn't react and socked him in the jaw, sending Odz flying. Odz landed in the forest not too far away from the mansion. He laid there on his back. Vyse and Luffy were standing on the wall Odz just flew over.

"Shall we finish this?" Vyse asked. Luffy responded by jumping off the building and jumped towards Odz. "Okay then." Vyse started floating in the air then flew to the spot above Odz. Luffy jumped into the air as Odz got up, grabbing his right horn, Vyse grabbed the left and threw Odz a second time, slamming his head into the ground.

"What the heck is going on?" Usopp said, apparently the only one not silenced from the shock.

"They're At It! They're At It!" said one of the Rolling Pirates, "They've got Odz busy!" The three of them looked down. "Now's our chance! Search for them! They need medical attention!"

"What's with those guys?"

"Did you find them?"

"No, Over there?"

"There they are!" Skinny Brother said, "The crew of our 'Star of Hope'!"

"Here's another!"

"What horrible injuries..."

"All defeated!"

One found Brook, "This Guy's just Bones!"

"It's dangerous to keep them here," Lola said, picking up Robin and Fina, "Move them to a safe place!"

"What are they doing down there?" Usopp asked.

"Zombies, I think," Nami replied.

"Well lets go stop them!" Aika said already heading down.

"GUM GUM...STAMP!" Luffy kicked Odz in the face.

"Cutlass Fury!" Vyse shouted as he sliced up the Back of Odz legs, making him fall again.

Vyse and Luffy grabbed Odz's Hair and threw him again, slamming him onto the ground.

"What's going on!?" Moria shouted as he was being thrown around the cockpit.

Still holding onto his hair, Luffy started spinning Odz around as Vyse took off Flying. Luffy then started slamming Mori back and forth on the ground around him.

"Nightmare Luffy?" Nami asked Lola.

"Dream Vyse?" Aika asked The Skeleton Pirate Captain, who had been the Skull shield.

"That's right." Lola said.

"But they only have about 2-3 minutes left to use this power before it wears off," said the Skeleton Pirate Captain.

"After that the Shadows will leave Luffy's Body," Lola added.

"And Vyse's Power will return to the Blades to rest."

"It's almost dawn," Lola stated, "The fate of those on the island will soon be decided. We're counting on you, Captains of Hope."

Luffy started spinning faster and faster until he finally threw Oz in Vyse's direction. Odz passed Vyse, allowing him to unleash his improved attack, "RAIN OF SWORDS!" Sword of not only lightning, but fire, ice, water, and wind all started carving up Odz's body as he was sent through another wall, causing the Rolling Pirates to scatter.

Kuma stood and watched over the battle from Moria's Balcony.

Odz sat up and stared at Luffy and Vyse, who were standing, arms to their sides, ready to battle at any second. Odz stood, panting heavily, "You Damn Little Bastards! GUM GUM...BULLET"

Luffy grabbed the sword from his back as Odz charged them. Luffy and Vyse made Three cuts, slicing Odz's skin so deep, he actually started bleeding.

"ODZ! That's pathetic!" Moria complained, "Where are they getting their Power from? Now I have to step in. I have to leave the cockpit for a minute."

Luffy Jumped so he was staring at Moria, Vyse floating nearby. "GUM GUM..."

"PIRATES WRATH!" Vyse rushed in to get in his slashes, and backed out.

"...PISTOL!" Luffy smacked Moria in the face, breaking the chair and smashing him to the back of Odz's Stomach.

"GUM GUM..." Odz prepared an Axe as Luffy inhaled deeply, twisting his torso twice. "AXE!" Luffy exhaled the air, deflecting Odz's kick as well as spinning himself in mid air.

"GUM GUM..." Odz was stunned, Moria was out, "STORM!" He got a few punches on Odz's face to knock him out, then the rest went strait for the Stomach. The brutal attack must have gone on for about 20 seconds, getting in about 400 punches, or more.

Odz started falling backwards as the Rolling Pirate fled with the other two crews.

"One last one, just to make sure," Vyse said, "Tag Team Attack! PIRATES HURRICANE!" Vyse unleashed another Pirates Wrath to complete the combo. Odz was down and out.

"Unbelievable!" Usopp said.

"What about Luffy?" Nami said as she looked around.

"Or Vyse?" Aika looked up.

Both captains had worn themselves out. They both fell to the ground. As they stood up, the Shadows left Luffy's body, returning him to his normal state. Vyse lost his glow as he also returned to normal. They both collapsed.

"LUFFY!" Usopp and Nami shouted as they rushed to them.

"VYSE!" Aika yelled as she rushed with them.

"We're...not dreaming, right?" Skinny Bro asked.

"We won, didn't we?" Large Bro asked.

"That's right they did it." Skeleton Pirate Captain answered as he disappeared to wherever he came from.

"Our 'Star of Hope' has done it!" Lola continued.

"They Beat Moria and Odz!"

"Thriller Bark has been defeated!"


	20. Chapter 21

(Sec 47) * * * * *

"You guys are Awesome!"

"You defeated Odz!"

Vyse and Luffy, even though they were out of it, were still getting praise. Confala and Syreren had just brought the Delphinus in so Doc and Ilchymis could get a good look at everybody.

"LUFFY!" Usopp said, "Pull yourself together!"

"Luffy!" Nami said, trying not to shout at their unconscious captain.

"Come on, Vyse, wake up" Aika said to her husband.

"They were pushed to their limit wielding all that power" the Large Brother said, "Are you guys alright?"

"It's only natural for them to be exausted," Lola stated, "Luffy fought with the strength of 100 people. And this Vyse guy used what looked like something he'd never done before, and didn't know the extent of his power."

"They just need to rest," Doc said, "They'll be fine soon enough."

"Anyway," the Skinny Brother started, "We have to hurry! Dawn is approaching and we still need to get the Shadows back."

"That shadow problem Confala and Syreren told us about is very interesting," Ilchymis said, "I'll have to study it some more at some point."

"How are we to get the Shadows Back?" Aika asked.

"That's going to be another problem," Lola said, "We actually hoped these two would do it."

"But that's impossible now, right?" Larg Brother said, "He's not even moving anymore."

"Moria was the one who took the shadows and put them into Zombies," Lola explained, "Unless he gives the order 'Return to your Masters', the Shadows will stay here."

"Well lets see if we can talk some sense into him!" Khazim said, Readying his small Bazooka.

"Yeah, we just have to wake Moria and force him to say it," said Skinny Brother, "If we can't get our Shadows back, beating him was for nothing!"

Odz started to rise again.

"Odz is up!"

"How can a body still MOVE after an attack like that!?"

"How can this be?" the Skinny Brother started, "We're done for! The entire Straw Hat Crew was Beaten!"

"We used up all the Shadow we'd saved!" Large Brother stated, "We don't have any other way to beat him now!"

"HEY!" Aika shouted at them, "Do you not see the Big War Ship behind you!? You still have the Blue Rouges to help you. Khazim! You an Confala get the Mini-Hydra's and the Moon Stone Cannons ready. Fire when they're at Full, got it!?"

"I've been itchin' for a triggerin'," Khazim said as he went back to the Delphinus.

"Alright! Everybody get out of the area and into the Shadows! We don't want to lose anyone, and THIS is going to get messy!"

As they turned to evacuate, Zoro was standing in the way.

"You..."

"I don't know what happened to the captains," Zoro said, the Wado now sheathed, "But I'd say they've done more then enough."

"Hold up!" Skinny Brother warned, "If you keep moving around with those injuries, You'll die!"

"He can still stand after taking a blow from that giant head-on!? I don't even know WHO the Zombie is anymore!" Lola stated.

"Hey! The Straw Hats are gone!"

"and so are those Blue Rouges!"

"That huge ship is gone as well!"

"Did they run away!?"

"ALL of them!?"

"Then we gotta run, too!"

Luffy and Vyse slammed their fists on the ground to get everyone's attention, "T-that wasn't enough, huh?" Vyse asked.

"I need to do one more move...Damn. I'm still exhausted from earlier." Luffy stated. Luffy turned to Robin, who just walked up, "Robin!"

"Yes, I'm here."

"I need to get to the top!"

"Understood. I'll make some footing."

Brook stepped forward, using his cane as a crutch, "If there is anything I can do..."

"The Skeleton Spoke! He moves!"

"Brook!" Luffy said, "I have a favor to ask."

"Just as I thought," Nami said, "We're all in position, captains!"

"They never even THOUGHT of running away." Skinny Brother stated, "Ever since Odz got up, They've been preparing a Counter Attack!"

Luffy and Vyse stood. "We'll show you!"

Chopper and Sanji were running up the Tower, getting to the Rudder's Chain. Usopp, Franky, and Drachma were hard at work putting together a massive machine.

"You're in our way," Zoro stated, "MOVE IT!"

"Pierna Fleur!" Robin made Foot Platforms along the Tower Wall.

Brook grabbed Luffy and started jumping up, "Yohohoho! Here we go! Yohohoho!"

"I'm counting on you Brook!" Luffy said.

"Wait," Odz said, "where're you going?"

Clouds started appearing before Odz. "The weather is 'Rain'! COOL BALL! RAIN TEMPO!"

Piastol, Aika, Fina, and Confala all joined in, to make sure Odz was thoroughly washed up, "WEVELUM!"

"EMERGENCY PLUMING COMPLETED!" Usopp and Franky Celebrated.

"Coup de Vent!"

"HAND OF FATE!"

Franky and Drachma broke a hole through the wall where Odz was on the other side. Usopp started cranking as fast as he could, generating power for the machine.

"SUER-Large Freezer, Ultra Cool BLAST!" Franky shouted.

The four girls pitched in again, "Crystalum!"

Odz's legs Completely Froze, leaving him unable to move. Along with the little extra help, his arms were to stiff to move as well.

"Now it's MY Turn!" Sanji said as he jumped down. He grabbed a chain with his foot and threw it around Odz.

"The Chain from the Helm!?" Odz protested.

Up in the sky, another 200 feet above Thriller Bark, Brook was holding Luffy at the tip of the Delpinus.

"THROW ME!" Luffy shouted.

"You're really going to do it?"

"I'll be fine, I'm Rubber!"

"Be careful!" Brook threw Luffy strait down.

As Luffy fell like a bomb, he put his thumbs in his mouth, "GEAR THIRD!" His arms inflated to the size where they Rivaled Odz's.

Zoro and Vyse were up next.

"Three Sword Style, Secret Technique, Three Thousand Realms!"

Vyse, with the Sky Fangs in hand, "Pirates of Old, Let me Unleash the Power of these Blades!" The Blade Glowed, "HEAVEN SPLITTER!"

The two swordsmen slashed through Odz, leaving him too weak to try anything now.

Sanji kicked the lever needed to pull the chain, making Odz stand strait up, Looking at the Falling Luffy.

"Odz's Spine is Completely Strait!" Chopper announced. He started talking more to himself, "The Human spine is bent in an S-shape in order to soften blows and shoulder weight. When straitened, there's nowhere to shift the shock to and takes maximum damage!"

"GIANT BAZOOKA!"

"I'll just send one back!" Odz announced, "GUM GUM...Huh!? It ain't moving! My right arm won't move! I'm not stretching either!"

Luffy struck, and everyone could hear the earth shattering power of Luffy's attack when they heard Odz's spine snap and crack in several locations. Odz fell a second time, and he wasn't going to get up again.

"THEY DID IT!" Everyone(who wasn't a Straw Hat or a Blue Rouge) shouted.

Odz tried to move, but couldn't, "It didn't hurt, but I can't move..."

Brook saw the sun rising, "what can this be...? this feeling of uneasiness?"

"HEY!" Vyse said, feeling a little bad about inturupting the rejoicing, "But you still need your Shadows back, or you'll all die!"

"Let's wake up Moria and force him to do so. Dawn is too near."

"No need...to wake me..."

"Now unless you want another beating," Vyse said, "Return all the Shadows!"

"KISHISHISHISHI. This isn't just some children's fight, A REAL Pirate doesn't even Fear Death!" Luffy was back on his feet, but he was tiny due to his Gear Third Technique. "So, the Straw Hats joined with you, forest-losers? That explains how Straw Hat got that ridiculous power-up! The Nerve! Using MY Powers Against ME!? Straw Hat! How Dare you wreak such reckless Havoc all over my 'Thriller Bark' like this!?"

"Hey," Vyse said while Moria took a couple of breaths, "I was here, too."

"It's your fault!" Luffy shouted at Moria, "YOU got in the way of OUR journey. Give back our Shadows before Sunrise!"

Moria took another breath, "KISHISHISHI! Even if you continue your journey, all that waits for you is DEATH! The NEW WORLD is way out of your league. You might think you've gathered up a decent little crew, but...You woul only lose it ALL! You know why!?" Moria got a crazed look in his eyes, "I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE! My subordinates were known far and wide. WHY did I lose them all!?.........I lost them all because they were of the Living! If they had been Zombies from the Start, I wouldn't have lost them!" Shadow Tentacles spread out from Moria, reaching across the whole Thriller Bark, "Zombies are imortal! Even if they're Purified, they can be Replaced! As the Master of this Immortal Amry, I will Once Again aim for the title 'PIRATE KING'! You should be GLAD that your shadows get to be my Tools!" Moria spread more Shadow Tentacles across the ship Sized Island until Every Zombiw left had one attached to it, "Now, All Shadows of Thriller Bark...Become MY POWER! SHADOWS ASSARD!" The Zombies fell by the tens, twenties, thirties! Every last of the Zombie's Power was being drained into Moria. "STRAW HAT! You took in about 100 shadows, didn't you? Then I shall absorb One Hundred...TWo HUndred...THRee HUNdred...FOUR HUNDred...FIVE HUNDRed," Moria's voice was getting deeper and more demented with every second, "...SIX HUNDREd...SEVEN HUNDRED...EIGHT HUNDRED...NINE HUNDRED...," Moria had gone under a hideous transformation, "KISHISHISHISHISHISHI! ONE THOUSAND!" Moria was Bigger then Odz was. The sheer weight of himself had crushed Odz into nothingness.

"Just when I though Clowns couldn't get any scarier," Vyse said.


	21. Chapter 22

(Sec 48) * * * * *

"Kishishishishishi! Kishishishishishi!"

"One Thousand?" Aika said, stunned.

"This guy..." Franky said.

"Kishishishishishi!"  
"I'm back to normal," Luffy said as he stood at full hieght.

"The night is ending!"

"With 100 Shadows, Luffy beat Odz easy." Large Brother stated, "With 10 times that...how strong is he now?"

"It's Hopeless!" Skinny Brother shouted.

"All we have to do is beat Moria now," Vyse stated, "If Odz was only 900, and you guys have been purifying Zombies all night, Moria has every last Shadow on the Island."

Moria raised his fist, "RUN! THERE'S NO HOPE!" All the Rolling Pirates ran away as Moria struck the ground, causing an earthquake. "THE MANSION MAST IS FALLING DOWN!" some sunlight got through a crack in one of the protecting walls. "I'm vanishing!"

"You'll be fine if you stay in the shadows!"

"C-Captain Lola!" Skinny Brother said.

"What are yo doing!?" Large Brother asked.

"You guys, run. I'm the one who made this bet. Take a look...at that." She pointed to the two crews that were standing before Moria, 5 of them missing Shadows.

"Do they still think they can win!?"

"He split the island with a single punch!"

"He's way Stronger then Odz!"

"If they're still gonna fight, I'm not moving, either!" Lola stated, "After we took them and made them our 'Rays of Hope', we got them wrapped u in this mess. As Captain, I'm staying, taking responsibility. You guys...should Value your lives." some sunlight hit the right side of her head.

"CAPTAIN LOLA!" Large Brother Shouted.

"The Light is hitting there! Get in the Shadow over there!"

"I'm fine! This is what it means to place your absolute trust in someone! It's all the same whether I Live or Die. I don't care anymore...I won't live in the Shadows ANY LONGER!"

"He's practically running wild," Drachma stated.

"He can barely control himself," Zoro said.

"In his anger and foolish pride," Robin started.

"He seems to have abandoned all reason," Fina finished.

"Guy," Luffy started, "We're out of time, so I'm going to be a bit reckless. I'll leave the rest to you."

"One sec, Luffy," Vyse started, "at least let my crew ease this a little."

"Where are you guys getting your spirit from!? There's no WAY you can win! He's a monster of One Thousand Men."

"I never liked people telling me what's impossible," Vyse said, "It just makes me try all the harder to prove that nothing is impossible."

"But your out of TIME!"

"Ready the Hydra Cannons!" Khazim said to Confala and Sakurai, "Moon Stone Cannon...FIRE!"

While everyone had been talking, the Delphinus had placed itself behind Moria and had gotten every Cannon aimed, Hitting him hard in the back, but he didn't move an inch, but he did cough up about 200 shadows.

"Okay, Luffy," Vyse said, "My crew won't be able to take another shot like that. He's all yours."

Luffy crouched and placed his fist on the ground, his legs started pumping. His skin turned red as smoke or steam started emitting from his body, "Gear SECOND!"

"Will he eliminate us?" Zoro said, talking to the Rolling Pirates, "Or will he destroy himself?"

Luffy started jumping around as Moria tried to hit him. Luffy dodged several times before grabbing Moria's belt, "GUM GUM MISSILE!" he slammed into Moria's tremendous neck, sending him backwards. As he caught his balance, he coughed up another 50 Shadows. "GUM GUM JET BAZOOKA!" Slammed Moria's gt, making him cough up another 100 Shadows, while still coughing from the last one. "Jet Bazooka! JET BAZOOKA! JET BAZOOK!" Luffy had hit him with Four Bazookas now, Moria still throwing up Shadows, now leaving not only through his mouth, but his neck as well.

"Moria's Consciousness is fading, making him lose control!" Usopp theorized, "One Thousand Shadows is too much, even for a master!"

"GUM GUM-"

"BRICK BAT!" The shadow bats, instead of biting Luffy started making a Shadow Box around him. "BLACK BOX!" Moria sent a punch at the now Trapped Luffy. The bashed Box clanged to the ground, where Moria started stomping it. "This shall be..YOUR GRAVE! A Young Fool Like You...Needs To Find Out What Happens When You Get Big Ideas On An Ocean Like This!" Moria Stomped again, "This is what happens when you try to Oppose One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!" He stomped again and again. "You should stick to your station in Life! In this world, a stake that sticks out, will be Hammered Down!" He continued stomping as everyone could do nothing put Watch.

Moria stopped. Everyone stared. *CLANG*...*CLANG!*...*CLA-RUNCH!* Luffy burst out of the Box. He assumed his Gear Second Position, even though he was still in it. Luffy took a few breaths before speaking, "You may call me a young fool...or a stake that sticks out...But I...Will NEVER...Be Hammered Down by ANYONE!"

"Won't Be Hammered Down? That Baseless Statement Is Just A Teastament To Your Lack of Experien-"

"BECAUSE I'M RUBBER!"

"He's got you there, Moria," Vyse stepped in, "Rubber doesn't Hammer very well."

"I'll make you spit every Shadow out Right Now!" Luffy put his thumb in his mouth, "Gear...THIRD!...BONE BALLOON!"

"HEY! Should you really be doing that!?" Franky said.

"You don't have to go that far!" Vyse said.

"Don't you remember how much trouble just Second can get you into!?" Usopp reasoned.

"You're Really Overexerting Yourself, Luffy!" Chopper explained, "Your body will be torn to pieces!"

"Gum...Gum...GIANT JET SHELL!" Luffy but all the air in his body to his torso and jumped at Moria. He hit him in the Adams Apple, Making more shadows try to escape.

Moria put his hands over his mouth, "I won't let any more of you escape! My Army! I AM YOUR MASTER!"

"MY SHADOW!" Lola shouted, "COME BACK TO ME! We were born together! We live in the same world!" more sunlight hit her, "You're right there, aren't you!? I've been searching for 3 years! If you can hear me, COME BACK! COME BACK!"

"COME BACK! COME BACK! COME BACK! COME BACK!" Everyone started chanting.

"I've got something to say to my Shadow as well," Luffy go up, still in Gear Second/Third, "If You Want To Be PIRATE KING...Make Sure..." Luffy jumped, slamming into Moria's Neck again, "TO FOLLOW ME!"

Moria lost more Shadows as he backed into the Mast. He turned around. The only way to escape would have been to run on all fours, but that would mean losing more Shadows. Before he made his final decision, it was made for him. The Mast fell to the ground, crushing him underneath it. Moria fell unconscious. Every Shadow started leaving his body, except for his own. 'Straw Hat! Ugh. Just Continue your Journey to the New World! That is where the TRUE Nightmare Lives!'

As the Shadows left, a large part of the Mast broke, letting Light Flood the Courtyard. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and Fina were all hit by the light.

"YOU GUYS!" Usopp yelled, "What's Going on!?"

"We just beat Moria Too!" Vyse said, trying to block some of the light from going any farther, "Were We...Too Late!?"


	22. Chapter 23

(Sec 49) * * * * *

Aika signaled for the Delphinus to land so it would block the light, while the rest of the Blue Rouges tried to block the light until it landed. The remaining Straw Hats just stood there, crying as Zoro, Sanji, Robin, Fina and Luffy all started vanishing.

"WHY!?" Franky said, "Didn't we win!? Didn't we make it!?"

"CAPTAIN LOLA! DIDN'T WE WIN!? DAMN IT!"

Jones just stood there, at the highest point of the Ship Island, "Heh heh. They shouldn't worry so much. They still have something else that is FAR more dangerous then vanishing."

The Shadows continued so leave Moria, returning back to their owners across the vast seas. Many people rejoiced as they bathed in sunlight for the first time in years.

Back at Thriller bark, all the crews could do was stare at where the vanishing friends once stood.

"Hahahahahaha...wow...We're all alive and well!" Zoro stated, looking at his arm, making sure it was all there.

"For a moment, it felt as if I was ascending into Heaven," Robin said.

"That would have been fine by me!" Sanji said, "As long as Robin-chwan is with me, then I'd go to Heaven~!"

"That was scary!" Nami and Chopper said, holding eachother.

"We're glad you're alright!" Vyse and Aika gave Fina a Hug.

"That was bad for my Heart" Brook said, "...but I don't have a heart in the first place!" He turned around, and saw the sun for the first time in 5 years.

"THE LIFE OF SHADOWS IS OVER!" Lola announced to her crew, "LET US DANCE IN THE SUN!"

"Since our Shadows came back to us before we completely vanished, our bodies regenerated," Robin explained.

"It's the same reason how Moria could Transform Shadows and change the shape of his body, right?" Aika asked.

"The only thing I understand," Sanji answered, "is the Shadow and the Body must have the same shape."

"Our Shadows will never leave our bodies again," Zoro stated.

"Well I'm glad we came along to give some back up," Vyse said, "I even have a couple of surprises later when we get some sleep. It's been a long night."

"I'm so exhausted I'm about to fall asleep," Drachma said.

"Is there any Cola here?" Franky asked, noticing his hair had been drooping over his eye.

Elsewhere on Thriller Bark, Hogback had just found Absalom, "Hey! Hey! Wake Up! Get up! Get Up, Absalom! Hey, Wake Up!"

Absalom woke up and noticed Zombie Lola next to him, "AAAAH! LOLA! Give It A Rest! I Won't Marry You!"

"Quiet Down!" Hogback demanded, "Her Shadow was taken."

"Hogback...by the way, what happened to me, exactly?"

"How should I know!? You were probably defeated by someone. Pathetic! You should know...Moria-sama..."

"...WHAT!?!? He was Defeated by Straw Hat!?"

"SHH! Your voice is too loud! We don't want to be discovered and beaten up again, do we!?"

"What are YOU freaking out over, Hogback? More like Freakback."

"Thriller Bark is useless now, but I won't be a loser the rest of my life just lie that! What will YOU do?"

"'What'...?"

"Didn't Luffy shrink a while back?" Vyse asked.

"When Luffy uses Giant or Third Gear," Chopper explained, "his rubber body stretches for longer periods then normal, so when he finishes, his body snaps to a smaller size until he's had time to cool off."

"Luffy's new Fighting Styles puts too much pressure on his body, doesn't it?" Usopp asked, "I'm worried...our enemies keep getting stronger as we go through, so he's going to have to keep using those reckless techniques. We have to start pulling ourselves together!"

The Straw hats looked at their paralyzed captain, all agreed.

"I'd really like to thank you guys," said an old man with sever injuries.

"Hey, it's th Ossan we ran into at the graveyard," Sanji stated.

"GRAMPS!" The Risky Brothers shouted.

"Old Man Spoils!" Lola shouted as she and her crew marched towards the Straw Hats and Blue Rouges, "President of the Victims Association!"

"I'm happy to see you all made it."

"We're glad to see you're fine too, gramps! Straw Hats, we apologize. We're late with OUR Thank Yous."

"We thank you from the Bottom of our Hearts!" Skinny Brother said.

"Once we saw you guys go on a rampage, we thought if we had to take a chance, we'd lay all our hoes on you!" Large Brother said.

"Thank You, Everyone!" Lola said, "The entire Thriller Bark Association of Victims, Thanks You!" Everyone got down on their knees, and bowed, "We will NEVER forget this dept!"

"We Blue Rouges always lend a helping hand to those in need," Vyse stated, "We were more then Happy to Help."

"There must be SOME way we can repay you!" Spoils said.

"One of you can Marry Me!"

The two crews stared for a moment, "...NO!!" Yelled Franky, Usopp, Chopper, Zoro, Brook, Drachma, AND Vyse all said at the same time.

"Vyse is already mine!" Aika hugged her husband.

"She was Rejected by SEVEN PEOPLE at Once!" The Risky Brother's shouted, "4452 Rejections!"

"You can thank us," Zoro said, "But don't you remember what Luffy told you? We fought for our own reasons, and helped you while doing it."

Nami smacked Zoro, "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? Just as someone FINALLY thanks us...!"

"So what CAN we do for you!?" Large Brother asked.

"Whether or not it was coincidence or whatever, you defeated Moria all the same!"

"~Well~" Nami said, Money Symbols in her eyes.

"We'll let you have ALL of Moria's Treasure! We'll help you load it on you ship!" The risky Bros. Said.

"That's already been tak-" Nami blanked out. She put a hand to her mouth.

"What's the matter?" Aika said, still holding Vyse.

"Something Terrible!"

"I see." said an Elder Star's voice. Everyone looked up. Kuma was sitting on a wall, holding a Den Den Muchi, "So, the terrible foreboding I was feeling came true, then?"

"It seems so," Kuma replied.

"Who's that?" Vyse asked, stepping out of Aika's hold, Sky Fangs ready.

"He's here...!" Nami said. She took a few breaths before she continued, "Everyone. Calm down and listen to me. During the Fight with Moria and Odz, I didn't want to mention this, but there's another Warlord on this Island...Bartholomew Kuma, The Tyrant!"

"What did you...Just say!?" Usopp stamered out, "An-Another Warlord!? That's impossible!"

"What are Two Warlord doing on the same Island?" Vyse asked.

"Now that we had finally decided a replacement for Crocodile," the Elder Star continued, "it would be bad if we needed to fill yet another spot for The Seven Warlords. Is he still breathing?"

"Who knows." Kuma replied.

"If he's alive, I want us to await his recovery and have him continue serving as One of the Seven. We'll sort this mess out after that. If we keep replacing them like this, the name 'Seven Warlords of the Sea' will be extinguished. We can't let the news of this spread to the world, especilly the one we're going to be merging with soon."

"At the rate you guys are sending the word out it'll be longer then 'soon'." Jones said, even though he was all by himself and no one could hear him, let alone see him.

"These Straw Hats are a pain...do you understand what I'm saying?" Kuma was silent, "There must not be ANY witnesses to Moria's Defeat. This is a Special Order from the World Government...Everyone on the Island, Straw Hat or Victim, Must be ELIMINATED!"

"Understood. Easy Enough."

"Did I just hear 'Eliminate'?" Vyse asked.

Kuma got up and looked down at Moria.

"How can we fight ANOTHER Warlord right away!?" Usopp cried.

"Oh quit you're belly-achin'" Drachma said as he popped a Sacrulen crystal in his mouth, "How tough can this guy be?"

Zoro stepped forward, unsheathing his Black Blade, "Stand back. I'll handle this."

"Be Careful!" Nami warned, "He's got some sort of ability, too! I saw him make the Ghost Girl Vanish just by touching her!"

"PEOPLE HE TOUCHES DISAPPEAR!?" Usopp exclaimed.

"And he can teleport, as well!"

"So this guy is bad news, huh?" Drachma asked, "HMPH! I've dealt with better in worse conditions."

"Rakham doesn't count, Cap't" Vyse stated.

Kuma removed his left glove, "That hand of his..." Nami said, "It's dangerous!" he removed his right glove.

Zoro clutched his sword as he watched Kuma, who suddenly Vanished, appearing in front of Drachma and the Rolling Pirates. They all had their weapons out, but only Drachma was prepared.

"When did he...!?"

"He's Here!?!?"

"He's HUGE!"

"DAMN!" Large Brother said, "Now that we're free, do you think we intend to die HERE!?"

"That's Right!" Skinny Brother stepped in, "We won't let anyone interfere with our journey again!"

The Rolling Pirates charged, but Drachma stayed back, wanting to SEE what his opponent was capable of. Words only went so far.

Kuma un-clenched his right hand, an hit one of the Rolling Pirates, sending him, and about twenty others behind him, flying.

"Even the guys he didn't touch were pierced by something," Drachma stated.

Kuma teleported again, this time, behind Zoro. Zoro calmly turned around, the Shuusui still in hand. "Pirate Hunter Zoro...Shall I start with you?"


	23. Chapter 24

(Sec 50) * * * * *

"I can't believe it," Lola said, "we've been in the Dark for so long, and before we can rejoice there's Another Warlord, and he's going to Kill Us ALL!?"

"DAMN! That's not fair!" said a pirate, "Don't you know what kind f fight the Straw Hats just finished!?"

"Who cares about Odds!" said another, "We still have fight left in us! We're going to deal with you! So what if you're a Warlord!?"

"Compared to Odz and Moria, you're not THAT big!"

"Idiots," Jones said to himself, 'Size means nothing when you have power.'

"Stand back you guys," Zoro said, "The one he wants is me. Didn't you hear? If he wants a fight...I'm not backing down. THAT would be shameful!" He drew out his second sword, battle ready.

"You guys are quite famous," Kuma started, "On Straw Hat Luffy's ship, there are quite a few excellent subordinates, it would seem."

"No, no, no, no, you idiot," Franky, Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper all said.

"I doubt he meant all of you," Vyse reasoned.

"You all have caused quite a bit of trouble," Kuma continued, "And the Captain isn't the ONLY one responsible for your growing fame."

Zoro took his blades and re-sheathed them, then un-hitched them from his sash, and placed them on his sides as he took a stance.

"ZORO!" Usopp shouted, "Don't be so reckless! Aren't you worn to the Bone?"

"When the world turns nasty on you, you just have to deal with it. It's not like someone's gonna save you if you start babbling excuses." He crouched a little, "If I die, then I was just a man who could only make it this far!" He kept on crouching down, "Two Sword Style...DRAW AND RESHEATH TECHNIQUE...RASHOUMON!" Zoro Dashed forward at lightning speeds and did his attack, but Kuma had already teleported, making Zoro do nothing but slice a boulder in half. Zoro looked up, with Kuma above him aout to attack. He quickly tumbled to the side to avoid being hit when Kuma struck the ground.

"What was THAT!?" Zoro questioned as he looked at the hole in the ground. Kuma never touched the ground, his hand was still a good two feet above it, but there was a Paw Print hole that didn't look like it had an end.

Kuma turned and sent some sort of Blast through the air, Zoro dodged, but not fast enough. The blunt of the blow went through Four Walls before stopping and making an imprint on the fifth.

"He didn't even do anything, and Zoro's out of breath," Vyse stated.

"What's with his ability!?" Nami asked, "What is that mark he left in the rubble!?"

"It looks like a paw print," Fina said, pointing to Kuma's Palm, still held in the air from the last attack.

"A Paw?" Sanji said, "I don't remember reading about a Devil Fruit with that..."

Zoro got up, "Thirty-Six...Pound...CANNON!" He launched the attack with his black Blade. Kuma just held up a palm, deflecting the slicing attack and hitting the ground beneath some Rolling Pirates.

"He deflected Zoro's Attack with his hand!?" Chopper asked.

"Is that even possible?" Vyse asked.

"What is your ability?" Zoro asked.

"The Power to Repel Everything...I ate the Paw-Paw fruit. I am a Paw-man."

"This world is crazy," Vyse stated, "That power doesn't make any sense!"

"Why the hell're you so calm!?" Usopp questioned, "is there some sort of 'Soothing Type' of Devil Fruit!?"

"I don't know if you're a Warlord or a Benevolent Man anymore," Franky said, "Maybe this guy isn't all that tough after all?"

Kuma sent a blast over to Franky, hitting him through the stomach and sending him back. The Straw Hats turned and watched, stunned that Franky took a Frontal Blow and was effected.

"Cyborg Franky...is that ALL there is to your supposed strength?" Kuma asked.

"He must have reflected the atmosphere itself," Robin stated, "A normal Cannon wouldn't effect Franky at all."

"I call it the Pad Cannon. By repelling the atmosphere at the speed of light, I make a shock so strong it can pierce anything." Kuma took a sumo stance and continued, "Play time...is over."

Zoro took out the Wado and placed it in his moutth as quickly as he could.

"Slapping Pad Cannon!" He started doing what looked like Luffy's Gatling Gun Technique, and sent numerous shots at Zoro, who dashed forwards.

"Bleeding the Wolf!" Zoro started going through, dodging every shot fired at him, getting closer to Kuma. When he got close enough Zoro went to strike with all three blades, but Kuma caught them all with his hands, repelling Zoro backwards, sending him tumbling in the debris and then crashing into a wall. "Damn...You..."

"ZORO!" Usopp warned, "BEHIND YOU!"

Kuma had teleported again, aiming a hand about a foot away from Zoro's body. As he was about to launch an attack, Sanji and Drachma were not going to stand back any longer.

"That's as far as you get!" Sanji stated as he jumped into the air and started summer salting, landing blow onto Kuma's Chin. "Concasse."

"HAND OF FATE!" Drachma punched Kuma's chest, seeing as that was a big target.

There was smoke emitting from the two blows. Sanji clutched his leg while Drachma's arm was smashed to pieces. Sanji fell to the ground as he withered in pain. Drachma jumped back, grabbing his shoulder.

"Black Leg Sanji...that must be you." Kuma said, rubbing his chin, the dusting off his shirt, "I don't know who you are," He turned his head to Drachma, "but I'll deal with you later."

"What's with this guy!?" Sanji said through gritted teeth, "Is his face made of Steel or something!?"

"It's much harder the steel, boy," Drachma said, looking at his now destroyed Mech Arm, "I can punch through that stuff like Paper!"

"Fire Bird Star!" Usopp yelled as he shot.

"Alpha Storm!" Aika shouted, joining in.

"King of Snipers...what a Ridiculous Title." Kuma turned around and deflected the attacks back.

As they came back to Nami, Aika, Usopp and Chopper, Aika acted quickly, "Epsilon Mirror!" The attacks hit her, but deflected back, and dispersed before they reach Kuma.

"Another I don't know...But that doesn't matter. As I thought, getting rid of you all in a weakened state is no fun at all. The Government told me to Eliminate you all completely, but..." he trailed off as he started deflecting the air above him.

"What's he doing?" Vyse asked.

"It looks like an air bubble," Aika satated.

"But...it's getting smaller," Fina pointed out.

"He's using his ability," Nami started, "To make a Ball of Air, but it's being compressed too much!"

"If that air were to suddenly decompress, it would act like a bomb," Robin explained.

"he's making a Bomb!?" Vyse questioned.

Kuma had just finished with his Air Bomb, so his hands were almost folded together. "I will spare you lives..."

The Rolling Pirates were all smiles, but Vyse and the others didn't like his tone, even if it was the same as it had been.

"...IF, in, exchange, you will let me have Straw Hat Luffy's head." Vyse got a really pissed off look on his face. "If I bring back his head, the Government will not complain."

"Pirates of Old..." Vyse said under his breath.

"You want us to betray our Friend!?" Usopp said.

"Our Captain!?" Sanji said as he stood up.

"Let me unleash the full power..."

"Our Saviour!?" Lola said.

"The one I owe my life to?" Brook said, eyes looking angry.

All of the Rolling Pirates had wiped the smiles off their faces, replaced with looks of disgust.

"Of these blades...!" Vyse said, still under his breath.

"Bring Straw Hat to me."

"WE REFUSE!" everyone shouted with a roar, Weapons in the air.

"what a shame."

"HEAVEN SPLITTER!" Vyse threw his attack at Kuma with such speed, he didn't even try to dodge. The slice went strait down the middle, which broke the Air Bomb. Vyse knew it was going to go off no matter what, so might as well have it hit the enemy at point blank. Everyone stared at what happened. Kuma was still unaffected.

"Ursus Shock!"

"DELTA SHEILD!" Aika said in a last ditch effort to protect everyone. It didn't work.

The explosion covered the entire island. Those who were on the Delphinus were protected from most of the blast, but even though the ship was stable, it was still sent flying, hitting Debris, causing major damage to the ship.

Those on the island had it much worse. They were all practically at the center of the blast. People were sent flying. Rocks soared through the air. Trees were being uprooted at the force of the blast. Glass shattered as building crumbled to nothing but dust. When the blast subsided, all was silent except for the waves that crashed upon the shore.

All was lost.


	24. Chapter 25

(Sec 51) * * * * *

Small rocks from the island that were sent flying from the blast were coming down after five minutes in the air, causing small splashes in the water. Kuma stood in the middle of where the blast had taken place, completely unharmed from the explosion, even though he was right in the center of it all. The Little Jack, which had been floating in the air since the fight with Odz took place, and taken considerable amounts of damage, and crashed in the area of where everyone used to be. After a few minutes of looking around, seeing the damage he had done, Kuma walked over to Luffy's body. As he walked, he saw everyone was out. Most of them were partially buried under rubble and debris that had been sent flying as well. Others were a little luckier and just landed on some of the larger chunks of stone. Kuma stopped when he was above Luffy, still out from his fight against Moria. There was a Large Boulder holding down his left arm. Kuma put a paw on it, sending it elsewhere into the sea. As he was about to pick up Luffy, a voice shattered the silence.

"Where the hell...*pant pant*...do you think you're going?"

Kuma looked over. A boy about Luffy's age wearing now tattered Blue Uniform, still clutching to the blades that had sent the last attack on him. "Impressive. I wouldn't have though anyone would survive that. Who are you?"

"I am Vyse, King of the Blue Rouge Pirates, and a Legendary Hero from Arcadia."

"Arcadia...so you're from that Other World the Government has been talking about?"

"Indeed we are!" Vyse looked over to the Little Jack, where the voice came from. Drachma jumped off the edge, now equipped with the Silver Arm he got from the shrine a year back. "Good thing I kept all the Arms we found," He said to Vyse, "otherwise I'd be out of this fight."

"And who might you be?"

"I am Drachma, a fisherman. I always seem to be getting these kids out of trouble"

"That's not true!" Aika came out from some of the wreckage, Fina not to far behind.

"And you two are...?"

"I'm Aika, Vice Captain and Wife to Vyse."

"Fina, Navigator."

"Interesting. The people of Arcadia seem to be more resistant then normal people."

"No," Vyse corrected, "we're just not normal. If you want Luffy, or any of the Straw Hats, you're going to have to deal with US first."

"Very well. Just to be a good sport about it, I'll let you go first."

"In dire needs..." Vyse started.

"We Call upon..." Aika continued.

"The Power..." Drachma said.

"Of the Ancients!" Fina said.

"To battle our cause!" Vyse finished.

There was a bright glow, blinding Kuma from seeing what was going on. When the glowing stopped, The Four Rouges were looking better. More then enough to fight.

"Letting us have the first move was a mistake," Vyse stated, "We saw what you can do, but we work well as a team."

Kuma stayed silent.

Drachma moved around behind Kuma, "HAND OF FATE!" His attack was much stronger now, and the Silver Arm was Invincible. He sent Kuma flying over to Vyse and Aika.

"Rain of Swords!"

"Alpha Storm!"

Aika burned some of his cloths while Vyse had stunned him. It was Fina's turn, "MOONS! Cleanse the Lands!" Cuil had inhaled a lot of air, and the washed Kuma in a mist, fogging up his glasses, unable to see what was coming next.

"TAKE THIS!" Drachma slammed into Kuma's Stomach while Vyse got ready.

"Pirates of Old, Let me Unleash the Full Power of these Blades!" His Sky Fangs Glowed again, but he didn't unleash the normal attack, "BEHOLD!" Vyse held up one Blade, while swinging the other. Lightning struck one, while the other caused a Fire Tornado. He threw it at Kuma, "PIRATES WRATH!"

"OMEGA CYCLONE!"

Kuma had had enough. He dodged Vyse's attack, and reflected Aika's. He rushed over to Fina, Blasting her into a wall. As she fell, she couldn't do anymore, "I'm so...sorry." She was out.

He vanished and got Drachma from above. "Damn..." He was out.

Vyse was next. As he was about to attack him, Aika pushed Vyse out of the way, her taking the blow for him. "V...y...se." She was out.

"AIKA!" Kuma put his hand above Vyse, about to give the final blow, but Vyse wasn't about to go so easily. Using his Hooked Sky Fang, he grabbed Kuma's hand, and had him hit himself.

It had no effect. Vyse was still clung onto Kuma, so Kuma used his other hand for a point blank attack. "How disappointing." Vyse was out.

Kuma dropped Vyse to the ground. Now that the last of them were dealt with, he could grab Luffy and leave.

"Looks like I have to do it," Jone said, also unaffected by the blast and was standing in the same spot as he watched what happened, "I guess they weren't...wait..."

Kuma went to pick up Luffy again. "LION'S SONG!" Zoro had made one strike that actually tore Kuma's clothes when he hit his left shoulder. He landed behind Kuma, took a couple of breaths, and turned his head. There was some unnatural smoke, and a spark. "What...are you!?" Kuma turned around, still unaffected by anything thrown at him. "So, you're a Cyborg like Franky, huh!?...No, You're stronger then just steal, like Drachma said." Kuma's left eye lit red and he opened his mouth, a yellow light filling it. Zoro's eyes went wide after a couple of moments when a Laser Beam flew through the air. He dodged it, until the ground exploded beneath him, sending him flying and then crashing into a stone wall. Kuma's mouth smoked for a few seconds until he shut it. Zoro tried to get up. He had had a long night with fighting Zombies, Monsters, and a Warlord. His body needed rest, but not while his captain or his crew were in danger. He was able to get on all fours, breathing heavily, able to look at a piece of metal that the blast had hit. It was red, and melting. Zoro got up and kneeled on some rocks. Kuma fixed his shirt so the tear Zoro made wasn't noticable.

"A cyborg. That is indeed what I am, but I am quite different for 'Cyborg Franky'. I am what is called a 'Pacifista', part of a Yet-To-Be-Completed Project of the World Government. A Human Weapon."

"A Pacifista....?"

"I was created by the Government's Genius Scientist, Dr. Vegapunk. He is the man with greatest intellect on the planet. His scientific knowledge has reached that of the Level Humanity will likely reach in 500 years time."

"A body like that, and he's an ability user!" Zoro said to himself, "We have no chance of beating him now. We're too weak and wounded. My body won't even listen to me anymore." He started talking louder so Kuma could here him, "No matter what happens, you're still going to take Luffy's Head, aren't you?"

"That is as far as I'm willing to Compromise."

"I understand...I'll let you have ONE Head. BUT!" Zoro bowed to Kuma, "IT MUST BE MINE! Not Luffy's!" Kuma had a slightly surprised look on his face, "I may not be that famous yet, But this is the head of the one who will eventually become the World's Greatest Swordsman! Surly that is just as good as the one who will become Pirate King!"

"Despite your remarkable ambition, you wish to take this man's place and go to your death?"

"I see no other way to save my crew! If I can't even protect my Captain, what point is there to my Ambition!?"

There was a silence.

"Hold up, you damn bastard!" Sanji started walking forward, having a little difficulty. His right pant leg was torn to shreds. "What good is dying going to do you!? What about you ambition, idiot?"

Zoro stared, "You...!"

"Hey, big guy!" Sanji stepped between Kuma and Zoro, "Rather than this moss-head of a swordsman, take me instead! The navy may not consider me a threat, but the one in this crew who causes the most trouble in the end is ME, Black Leg Sanji!" He was having trouble standing.

"Why...you...!"

Kuma looked down at the two of them, thinking it over.

"Both of us are perfectly ready to lay down our lives if we have to! DO IT! Make this a Glorious Death!" Sanji started talking to Zoro, "Hey...tell everyone to have a good journey. And...That they'll need a new cook." Zoro used up what energy he had left and jumped forward, hitting Sanji on the left side of his rib cage with the hilt of the Black Blade. Sanji turned around and grabbed Zoro's left shoulder, "Why...you...!?" After a few moments, Sanji fell to his knees, an fell down unconscious a couple moments later.

"This is my last request," Zoro said as he threw his three blades down near Kuma's Feet.

Kuma sighed, "If I were to lay a hand on Straw Hat's Head after this, I would be the one to bear the shame."

"I'm in your dept."

Kuma went over to pick up Luffy again, "You may trust me, I will keep my promise. But in exchange," He picked up Luffy, "I will show you what Hell is like." He placed a palm on Luffy, an a Giant Paw Shaped Red Bubble came out of him. It grew to about twice Kuma's size before it detached itself from Luffy. "What I just deflected from his body," Kuma put Luffy back down, "Was his Pain and Fatigue. This is all the damage that was inflicted on him during his Night Long Battles. If you wish to take his place, you must take this as well. All of it. However, if someone as close to death as you were, to take all this...it would be impossible for you to survive. You will surly die...Have a taste..." he wiped his finger through the bubble, making a small bubble about half the size of Zoro's Fist through the air. It landed on Zoro's chest, which absorbed it. Zoro let out a scream as he felt something like Luffy's Gattleing Gun being used on him from the inside. He fell over, not even strong enough to lift his arms to catch himself. Zoro turned onto his back, breathing deeply and heavily. "How was it?"

Zoro clenched his fists, "Just let me...go to another spot..."

They went over to the edge of the forest, where the wreckage ended. Kuma left Zoro to the Bubble of Pain.

"Just get it over with" he said to himself. He heard a voice.

"Roanola Zoro! My name is Dracule Mihawk! It is too soon for you to die. Go! See the world, become stronger! I will wait for you as long as it takes here at the top. Go Ahead Roanola! Surpass This Blade! Surpass ME!"

At those words, Zoro threw himself in, taking all the pain at once.

"He has a good crew," Kuma said to himself, standing on top of the Gate to Thrilled Bark, "Just what I'd expect from your son, Dragon."

A cloaked figure appeared nearby, "that ought to give him encouragement," the man said to himself, more then to Kuma.

"Who are you?"

The man removed his cloak, revealing a Black Anthropic Creature with Red Stripes and about four feet tall, "I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform!"

"...What...?"

The creature changed his shape into what we know as Davy Jones "DERA-SHIshishishi! It's a joke I've wanted to pull off for some time. You don't need to get it."

"So, who are you, really?"

"My name is unimportant, however, I have a message for the World Government."

"Oh...?"

"It's more visual then oral or written."

"I see. Are you picking a fight with me?"

"Maybe...maybe..."


	25. Chapter 26

(Sec 52) * * * * *

"So, what is this message?" Kuma asked.

"They will have to figure that out" Jones replied, "Super Noro Noro BEAM!" The island, for a third time that day, was struck with the blue light, freezing everything. Jones took this time to wander the island. He found and unburied everybody on the the island. He used Kuma's Pain Deflector on everyone(Except Zoro and Luffy) and removed about half the pain they had all had. When he was done, he had a Pain Bubble 5 times that of Zoro's. He used Kuma's ability again to compress it to about the size of his fist. He returned to Kuma and placed a Seastone Bracelet to Kuma's Wrist, then returned everything to normal.

"What did you do?" Kuma asked after a small silence.

"Lets see..." Jones said, "You should actually ask yourself this." Jones cleared his throat and in a slightly higher pitched voice, asked, "'Do I feel lucky?' I know I do!"

Kuma was silent.

"The correct answer to the question is NO you do NOT feel lucky!" Jones got a crazy look in his eyes, "You see, I really, REALLY hate the World Government, and even though I could have taken over and replaced their system with my own, it's not my place to change the whole world. BUT I know a couple of people who are crazy enough and powerful enough to do so. When both of them AND their crews get knocked out, I'm going to come along and give them a helping hand. Can you guess WHO!?"

"Monkey D. Luffy and Vyse?"

"CORRECT! Folks, give this man a round of applause!" There was cheering coming out of nowhere. "NOW, It's MY turn to show YOU what hell is like. On your wrist, you'll notice a Seastone Bracelet, eliminating you Devil Fruit Abilities as well as making you weak! Deara-shishishi! NOW, I have the Copy Copy Ability, allowing me to cop each and EVERY Devil Fruit power there is, including...drum roll...YOURS! And with your ability, I have taken HALF of everyone's pain on the island, except for Luffy, since you took his away, and Zoro, since he wanted it. I have ALSO condensed it, so now...DERA-SHISHISHISHISHISHI!...It's a BOMB of Pain. This thing is going to be SO painful from the inside, your going to WISH for death! But I need yo alive, so THAT'S not going to happen. Have FUN!" Jones slapped the Ball onto Kuma's chest, right in the middle of the Zen Symbol, "I wish I could stay and watch, but I have somewhere I need to visit for a little bit. I'll be back to watch you wither in pain!" With a smile of insanity on his face, Jones opened a door out of nowhere and left.

At the High Security Navy Base Jail, A man with Dark Skin, Green Shorts, Spiked Collar and wrist Bands, and Grey-Blue Eyes was sitting in his Jail Cell with his Seastone handcuffs on. Jones entered as an invisible man.

"You know I can smell you there."

"Yeah yeah, it's so the Guards don't know I'm here. So how's things been, Shane?"

"Could be worse. I could be NOT Immortal. So what do you want? You're always on business. To much work will drive you insane, you know?"

"We both know I was insane LONG before I worked myself to death. Dera-shishishi."

"Yeah yeah." Shane broke out a smile.

"Anyway, you're right. I need you to tell me what happens here today when I come back."

"Why? What's so important? Can't you just use the Knowledge Fruit Power of yours?"

"I haven't gotten the hang of that one yet. It's only been 100 years. Something is going down today. Just a gut feeling. If I'm right, I'll get you out of here."

"Only on one other condition."

"gah...what do you want?"

"I'd like that immunity to Seastone. I miss being able to swim."

"I can't give you the cure recipe for that!"

"I don't want the recipe, just the cure!"

"HEY! Quiet down in there!"

"If that's all you want, fine. I'll have it ready tomorrow, but we'll get you out later tonight. Now, I have a lose end I need to take care of." Jones was gone again.

Kuma just stood there, his entire body sering with pain and agony. Jones returned. "Had fun?"

Kuma was silent.

"Okay, now for the message."

"I thought...you said they had to...figure it out."

"I lied. I just don't like Warlords, either." He held up a ring with a string attached to it, "You are getting sleepy, veeeeeeery sleepy...." A hat appeared on his head, "You will have no memory of me doing this to you. When someone asks 'What Happened?' you will respond with this..."

Kuma had left, and Jones knew everyone was going to be out for a full 24 hours, so he started searching the island. He found the engine room with all the gears, pulleys, belts and a bunch of gadgets. Jones smiled, "Copy Copy...Munch Munch Ability!"

Jones, after his eating spree, went over to the Little Jack and started repairing it. It wasn't as bad as it looked, and was floating in no time. The Delphinus was bit more of a problem. "This thing moves too fast in the sky, but I bet with a few modifications, I could make this into a submarine. It would give Vyse a tactical advantage over Ship battles. Dera-shishishishi. He's going to be sooo mad about this." with an insane grin we went to work on that as well.

It was only about 2 more hours before anyone would wake up. "I wonder...I remember helping a kid a while back, and he was good with ships...maybe he could come along..." Jones opened a vortex and stepped through. He appeared on Daccat's Island, where he saw a small life boat. "Why did he come to visit me here? This is Private Property!"

"Jones?" a man said. He was about 22, Black hair combed down to hide his Half Robotic Face, wore a Red Jacket, and Brown Cargo Pants.

"Vail, why are you here?"

"I needed an arm repair," he pointed to his left arm. His entire left side was all machinery.  
"I told you to be careful when fighting lad."

"I know, but some things can't be helped." Jones was able to quickly repair the boy's arm. "Thanks!"

"You can thank me by listening. You still looking for her?"

"Elaine? I've never stopped, and I never will until I find her!"

"Easy, boy, easy. You remember Galacian?"

"How can I forget after what that Bastard-"

"That's enough! A simple yes will do. You remember the boy who took him down?"

"Yes...?"

"He's looking for a Helmsman. You seem like the right man for the job."

"Me!? I don't know...I mean, how can I-"

"Drive a ship!? I know about your Past. Ships is what you work with. 20 minutes with one and you know the ins and outs of it better then the Ship Writes themselves!"

"Well...does he want me to be a part of the crew?"

"You'll have to ask him that" Jones put a hand to the wall that Vail was leaning on, "Revolving Door!"

Vail fell through the wall and landed on Thriller Bark, somewhere in the middle of the mansion. "What the hell was that, Jones!?...Jones?"

"EVERYONE!" Large Brother Shouted, "Are You still alive!?"

"Kuma...?" Lola asked, "He must have thought we all die and left. SERVES HIM RIGHT!" Lola stood up, hands in the air for celebrating.

"You've got to be kidding me." Vyse said.

"What the heck happened to you!?" Franky asked.

Luffy was jumping around, clapping his hands, laughing, "My body feels GREAT! How!?"

"You LIAR!" Usopp accused, "There's no WAY!"

"Maybe he took so much damage it went full circle and put him on a high?" Robin tried explaining.

"No way," Vyse said.

"That's impossible," Drachma added.

Sanji woke up, then quickly sat up, looking around. He found Zoro's Blades. He ran off, Brook watching him.

"There's no way he's still in one piece!" Sanji said to himself, "Where is the Marimo-headed Bastard!?" He looked over, and saw Zoro standing there, cross armed, "There he IS! The hell do you think you're playing at!? HUH!?" Sanji walked over, "Where'd that Warlord go?" As he got closer, he saw Zoro dripping in blood. His eyes went wide, "What's with all this BLOOD!? Are you still alive!?!? Where is THAT Guy!? What Happened Here!?"

"Nothing," Zoro replied, throat sounding sore, "Nothing...Happened."


	26. Chapter 27

(Sec 53) * * * * *

At Thriller Bark's Gates, there was a large...thing moving on the water.

"Close it, we're out," Hogback told Absolm.

"You sure? What about Perona?"

"I couldn't find her, so there's nothing we can do."

"Where did she go?"

The Gates shut. "Okay! We're safe! Invisibility off!" Absolm turned his power off, revealing a Thriller Bark Life Raft. Hogback was covered in bandages, covering the wounds he had gotten last night. "Fosfosfosfos! A Magnificent escape! Fosfos!"

"My knees were knocking back there! I don't understand what 'Tyrant Kuma' was doing on Thriller Bark, but that other guy looked really bad as well."

"Kuma was there to deliver the news about the former Warlord, Crocodile, and his successor."

"Successor?"

"That's not the most important part! Apparently, it's a guy known as Blackbeard, but what he pulled off is what's REALLY scary." He tossed Absolm a newspaper, "Read this."

"The commander of the Second Division o the Whitebeard Pirates, Fire Fist Ace, has been captured and taken to the great prison, Impel Down!?"

"Ace...he's famed as one of Whitebeard's Best men. The Government has gotten themselves an incredible card!"

"Indeed."

"They could easily try to use this to bring about the end of the Age of Pirates. In this kind of situation," Hogback turned to the still unconscious Moria, "there's no time for Moria-sama to just lie here!"

"I understand what you're trying to say, but I just want a bride..."

"Just get me a corpse that's your type and we'll go from there."

"NOT A ZOMBIE!" he threw the paper down, "I want a REAL, LIVING Woman!"

The day after Moria's Defeat:

Drachma was on the Little Jack, looking it over for damages. Fina had Ilchymis and Doc go help Chopper with Zoro, while the rest of the crew got the Delphinus ready, unaware of the changes. Vyse and Aika were on the Golden Sunny, helping out, or at least Vyse was. Jones had yet to announce he was there, but they all knew he was watching from some high point.

"We must have slept a whole day," Usopp said.

"We WERE up all night fighting," Franky reasoned.

"Sanji! FOOD!"

"Go eat some cheese or something!"

Luffy started chowing on two giant wedges of cheese, "Cheese isn't good enough! I can't run on CHEESE!"

"Well, why don't you take the cooking stuff over to the courtyard?" Sanji asked, carrying three large Pots, "The Victims Association guys don't want to leave the place, so we're going to eat over there."

"Sorry about that!" Lola said, standing on the grassy deck, "Everybody's so happy to finally be in the sun after all these years they're all just sunbathing."

"How can you be in such good shape anyway?" Usopp asked Luffy as he shoved half of the first Cheese Wedge in his mouth, "It's totally strange," Luffy shoved the whole second cheese wedge in his mouth, "It's a mystery!"

"You have enough ingredients?" Lola asked Sanji.

"We got back everything that was stolen from us, what's more, we have a mountain of extra food. We'll be fine. But who did it?" Lola asked. "I guess there are some others here, too. They even brought all of Moria's Treasure," Lola said as she turned to Nami and Aika, who were lying on it like a bed, "Even if this was Christmas, this is really too much!"

"So happy..." the two red heads said.

Luffy walked over, "OHHH a Glass bracelet!" he put it on, "COOL! I'll take it!"

"Hey hey!" Usopp warned, "you can't just go around taking it like that, you know? R-Right, Nami-san?"

"It's fine. It's just that, and it's not that valuable."

"Oh, okay!"

"HOWEVER! I'm not letting have a single bit of it!"

"We're not gonna steal anything from the ship of our saviors, Namizou."

"OH A cool knife!" Usopp said.

"What did you say?"

"GAH! I'm sorry It's just got some jewels in it."

"Huh?" lola replied to nami's question, "I just spoke without speaking...who's Namizou? Come to think of it, isn't it odd? I kinda feel like I've seen you before somewhere..."

"Could it be...?" Nami got up from her Treasure Bed, "Lola!?"

"Yes. Did I ever tell you my name?"

"So it IS you, Lola!?" Nami ran over and gave her a hug, "I'm so glad I got to see you again!"

"Lola, you mean..." Usopp trailed off, "WAIT A SECOND! She was the Boar-Zombie!?"

"You don't remember, eh?" Nami asked Lola, "I'll tell you about it later!" She ran over to her treasure and grabbed some items, "I'll give you this, as a sign of my gratitude!"

"HUH!? Is that alright? THANKS!"

"That's coming from you half!" Aika told Nami.

"NAMI'S GIVING TRESURE AWAY!" Usopp and Luffy shouted.

"I'm heading Over!" Franky said with a bag over his head.

"A STORM IS COMING!"

"Huh? But it's a clear day."

At the courtyard, the Rolling Pirates were laying there. Jones couldn't help himself and brought out a guitar, "We are the...PIRATES, WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING! WE JUST STAY HERE, AND LIE AROUND!"

They ignored him, "This is truly bliss. The light is hitting me...and yet...We're still alive!"

"HEY~!" Luffy shouted, a bag over his head, like Franky, "We've Brought FOO~D!"

The Risky Brothers got up, "Straw Hat! You should have asked us! We would've carried it! We can't allow you to work like this!"

"Zoro awake?"

"He's still sleeping like a log. Those three doctors are looking over him."

"Chopper!" Luffy yelled as he walked in.

"We brought that stuff you wanted!" Franky said.

"Thanks!"

"How is he?" Luffy asked.

"This is the first time Zoro's been this badly injured. He was really close to dying. I just know it...omething must have happened to him while we were unconscious!"

"Indeed," Robin said, "It's hard to believe that Kuma would just leave like that."

"Oh, it wasn't voluntary," Jones said, clearly done with his song.

"What do you mean?" Vyse asked.

"That's a story for later. So, did you meet him yet?"

"Meet who?"

"I brought another guy from Arcadia this morning. He must be off in the Mansion somewhere." Jones was hit in the head from behind, being sent into a wall.

"You REALLY should warn someone when you're going to send them somewhere before throwing them into a secret revolving door!" Vail looked around, "...oh geez...this is a bad first impression, isn't it?"

"Nah!" Vyse said.

"I don't think I deserved that!" Jones said as he got up and started stumbling around Captain Jack Sparrow style.

"I'm Vyse, Captain of these Blue Rouges," he held out a hand.

"I'm Vail," he met Vyse's and shook, "I'm looking for a job as a Helmsman."

"We're going to have to do the interview later, then. We have a celebration to start, you're welcome to join us."

"I'm still not sure why Luffy is so full of energy either," Chopper said.

"I don't know how it happened either!" He let out a laugh.

"What happened, Huh!? I saw it all!" Skinny Brother said.

"I saw it all, too!" Large Bother said.

"We'll tel you!"

"Hey," Sanji said as he grabbed the two brother and dragged them outside. When they were far enough away, Sanji let them go.

"Wait, why?" Skinny asked, "you were cool, too!"

"'Take my life instead of th Swordsman's', you know?" Large quoted.

"Shut up! Hurry up and tell me. What happened after I fainted?"

The Risky Brother's told Sanji about the Ball of Agony and what Zoro did with it.

"I see...then that's why Luffy is fine and Zoro ended up like that...How reckless." He blew out a puff of smoke.

"YOSH!" Large said, "We've got to tell everyone this beautiful tale!"

"WAIT! Don't you go running your mouths off with that stuff. He didn't risk his life so we'd praise him about it. Besides...How o you think LUFFY would feel...? All of his pain went to Zoro, his friend!?"

"EEEEH!?" The Risky Bros. really wanted to tell the story.

"YOU STILL JUST WANT TO TELL THE STUPID STORY!?"

"We can't say anything about it, then?" Skinny asked.

"As long as everyone is safe, that's all that matters. Lets go eat."

"There so cool!" Skinny said after a silence.

"What a Lucky captain!" Large said as an ear disappeared off his back.

"I see." Robin said with a smile, still standing at Zoro's bed.

"Hey, you two!" Luffy said when they walked back in, "You said you saw something earlier, right? What was it?"

"Don't go askin' us that stuff," Skinny said.

"Everyone's safe...that's all that matters," Large said. They both walked off to go grab something to eat.

"I still want to tell!"

"The beautiful tale of what that man endured!"

"W-what?" Luffy asked.

Robin laughed.

As everyone feasted, Drachma sat nearby Vyse, "I STILL want that explanation."

"In time, Captain. When the Rolling Pirate leave, we'll give you all the information you'll need."

"I'VE MADE PLENTY TO EAT! DON'T LEAVE A CRUMB OF LEFTOVERS, YOUR HEAR!?"

"YOHOHOHO! I'm so glad to eat your cooking again, Cook-san! It's so good, I could eat until my stomach bursts!...EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE A STOMACH!"

"SHUT UP AND EAT!" Franky shouted, tired of his jokes now. Everyone else laughed.

"Being able to eat to my heart's content yesterday, and again today, I think...I'm getting FAT!"

"'Even though I'm just BONES!', Right!? SHUT UP!"

Everyone laughed again.

"He didn't even toast," Chopper said, "but it turned into a party anyway, huh?"

"Chopper! THIS..." Luffy put down the keg of beer, "is Zoro's share! Drink up!" he was about to pour it down his throat when Nami smacked him, making him drop and break the barrel. Jones couldn't resist.

"Why's the rum gone!?"

"What's with you!? Zoro likes this stuff, so it should make him better!"

"What kind of Medicine is that!?" Chopper shouted.

Brook started playing the Piano that was in another room, but the wall was torn down. Usopp and Franky started dancing on the Table while Aika and Vyse just danced around the floor. Sanji walked over to Brook.

"Weren't you a violinist?"

"Yohohohoho, I can play any instrument you like! um...about earlier, I saw it too. I was deeply touched by what the two of you did."

Sanji leaned onto the Piano, "don't bother saying 'the two of you'...I just ended up looking like a fool."

"NO! You were just as prepared as HE was," he finished th song, "Any requests?"

"Anything goes?"

"BROOK!" Jones said, impersonating the Captain of Brook's old crew, "Play...THAT SONG!"

"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Going to deliver Bink's Sake, Following the sea's warm breeze, Riding on the waves! Far across the Ocean tide, Greeting the merry evening sun, Painting circles in the sky, as the Birds Sing Lullabies! Farewell to the harbour, To my old hometown Lets all sing out with a Don! As the ship sail Waves of gold and silver dissolve to salty spray As we all set sail to The ends of the sea!"

"'Binks' Sake'...I think I know this song from somewhere. It's very nostalgic."

Zoro had a small smile on his face, though he was still unconcious.

"Hey, Brook!" Luffy said, now on to of the Piano, "I know this song! Shanks and his crew used to sing it."

"This song..." Drachma said, "...so many memories..."

"Back in the old days, everyone would sing this song," Brook stated, still playing the music, "Through Hard Times and Fun Times...Yohohoho..."

"You're coming with us, right? You got your shadow back."

"About that...there is one thing I did not tell you...I have a promise...I made with a friend long ago. I have to fulfill that Promise, otherwise, I could not call myself a man."

"Ah, Labbon, right? Franky told me."

"Yes...that is indeed the name of that whale. He's waiting-"

"At the Twin Capes! We met Laboon! It's true!" Brook stopped playing. "Laboon had been waiting for his friends to return there for 50 years now." Brook started playing again, but slowly and quietly, "It was quite a surprise! We never thought we'd run into someone from that crew, and that it actually turned out to be you!" Brook had resumed playing at a normal pace again, "And...You still remember that promise! Once he finds out, I'm sure he'll b happy!"

"Please, back up a moment...Yohohoho...Out of the blue, you're telling me...You really met Laboon!?"

"Yup!"

"Even after 50 years have passed!?"

"Yup!"

"He's still there!?"

"Yup!"

"Is that true!?"

"Yup!"

"We can vouch for him!" Sanji said as he and Usopp walked up, "We really met him."

"How is he doing?"

"He was doing great!"

"He was the size of a Mountain!" Sanji added.

"That I must see! Back when we left him, he was about the size of a small boat. He was rather cute. He was difficult, but he loved music. He was a good kid! Even now, when I close my eyes, I can see his face...he's still there...?" He slammed on the keys. Tears hit the piano. Brook was crying. "So that's how it is?" He put his hands to his head, "So, he's still fine? I have never been so happy before..."


	27. Chapter 28

(Sec 54) * * * * *

"Skeleton!?" Franky shouted, "What's the matter? Keep playing!"

"Yohohoho! Just a moment please." He took off the bandage on his and opened his skull.

"YOU CAN DO TAHAT!?" Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy asked at the same time.

Broke placed an odd looking shell on the table, "This is a Tone Dial. I bought it off a merchant ship. It's a very rare kind of shell that can record sound and play it back."

"OH, those things from Sky Island!"

"You are familiar with it?"

"We sailed there!" Usopp explained, "Most of my weapons consist of shell technology."

"When I meet Laboon again, I plan on letting him hear this. I always keep it on my body. Although being a skeleton...I have no body to keep it on! YOHOHOHO!"

"You have something recorded on that?" Usopp asked as Sanji went to make sure the food was cooking properly.

"It's a song. The last song me and my crewmates were able to sing, back when they were alive. It's a message for Laboon...Something to let him know that we were still all happy and merry right to the end of our journey. Luffy, do you mind if I play it now?"

"OH! I want to hear it! I'm sure Laboon will love to hear it, too!"

"Very well, then," Brook reached over and hit the button on the top of the Dial.

The room filled with the sounds of the Tone Dial, "Let's give Laboon the Rumbar Pirates once-in-a-lifetime performance!"

A piano started playing and soon a bunch of other instruments joined in too.

"If it's THIS song," Lola started, "We'll sing too!"

The entire Island erupted with the sound of 'Bink's Sake'.

"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho.

Going to deliver Bink's Sake, Following the sea's warm breeze, Riding on the waves! Far across the Ocean tide, Greeting the merry evening sun, Painting circles in the sky, as the Birds Sing Lullabies!

Farewell to the harbour, To my old hometown Lets all sing out with a Don! As the ship sail Waves of gold and silver dissolve to salty spray As we all set sail to The ends of the sea!

Going to deliver Bink's Sake! We are pirates Sailing through the Seas The waves are our pillows The ship our roost Flying the proud Skull On our flags and our sails

Now comes a storm Through the far-off sky Now the waves are dancing Beat upon the drums If you loose your nerve This breath could be your last But if you hold on, The morning sun will rise

Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho

Going to deliver Bink's Sake! Today, tomorrow, our dreams through the night! Waving our goodbyes, we'll never meet again! But don't you worry; For at night the moon will rise again!

Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho.

Going to deliver Bink's Sake! Let's all sing it with a Don! A song of the waves  
Doesn't matter who you are, Someday you'll just be bones Never-Ending, Ever-wandering, Our funny Traveling tale!

Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho. Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho."

As everyone stopped singing to listen to the rest of the song, one by one the instruments stopped playing. There was the Piano, two Violas, a Violin, and a Bass. One Viola stopped.

"What's wrong?" The Dial Brook asked, "Now, this is just a quartet..." The second Viola player fell, "Trio..." The Bass man fell, "Duet..." you could here Brook holding back his tears. The Violin Player fell, leaving the Piano to play, "...Solo..." The Piano played for a couple of minutes before Dial Brook Spoke again, "Why? Leaving just the accompaniment..." The piano played a little longer, but before Brook played the last note, it stopped, with the sound of someone falling to the deck.

Brook continued the song, allowing everyone to dance and party even further. 'Laboon...You have waited there for 50 years...can you wait for just another year or two? For I, too, have the true spirit of a Pirate! You are facing that wall and waiting for me...and just as we promised, when I meet you again, I'll be coming over that wall!'

At the High Security Prison, Galacian and Rameriez had been on a small island not too far away from it. Lord Zilivan Bane appeared before them.

"You're late. It's been SIX days."

"Do you want my help or not?" Bane said in a calm voice, "I needed to get some paper work finished. These are your Identification cards," he handed Galacian and Rameriez some papers, "Now, there is supposed to be a 'surprise' inspection later today. My men are already handling the ones who are supposed to be doing it, and will bring us the ship later today, where you'll impersonate the inspectors. You will ask to visit with the ones who know Monkey D. Luffy personally, and see who is willing to join us for revenge. Once we know who's coming and who isn't, we'll bust them out tonight at the 10 pm shift switch, where my men are thoroughly informed on what to do, they just need who."

"Impressive," Galacian commented, "but, wouldn't the Navy Guards know what this inspector looks like?"

Bane chuckled, "Galacian, do you think I didn't think of that? The man doing the inspection looks almost exactly like you."

"Seems like a coincidence," Rameriez stated.

"Why do you think I was gone so long? I arranged it, personally. Now good luck with YOUR mission. I have my own to accomplish," Bane disappeared, yet again.

"I have got to learn that trick," Galacian said.


	28. Chapter 29

(Sec 55) * * * * *

Back at Thriller Bark, people had started gathering around whatever Jones was working on. After about five minutes, someone asked.

"What are you doing?" said one of the Rolling Pirates.

"Heh," Johns chuckled, "THIS is what is called a Movie Screen. In several of the worlds I visited, they had moving pictures on this screen that told fascinating tales. I have this set up to show you all the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, and Dyne D. Vyse. I'll have it ready in about twenty minutes, I have a couple of things to check before I let it role." Jones vanished and then reappeared on the Delphinus. "Time to wake up," He snapped his fingers, and Maria and Kaya opened their eyes.

"What happened?" Maria asked as she got up.

"There was so much excitement, you both passed out. But the danger is over and gone, everyone is okay, and there's a party waiting in the main hall of the Mansion, or what's left of it."

"Do you know where Usopp is at?" Kaya asked.

"The Party. Everyone is eating, Dancing, OR about to watch the stories of The Straw Hats and The Blue Rouges. Lets hurry before it starts!"

Jones set up a platform as soon as he got there. "Attention everyone! If you'll direct your eyes to me, you'll see behind me a Giant Screen. Using Magic and Time Travel, I was able to record the Adventures of your Heroes. In just a few moments, you'll be able to see how your Heroes came to be the Strong Warriors they are today. ENJOY!" Davy started up the projector and left.

Kaya was looking for Usopp when she bumped into a tall man with an afro. "Oh, excuse me."

"Oh I'm sorry. Are you alright?" Brook asked as he turned around.

"EEEK!" Kaya shouted as she saw the skeleton man.

"That voice," Usopp said as he headed in their direction.

"Ah! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you," Brook apologized.

Usopp broke through the crowd, "What's going on?" He asked Brook. He looked down and saw Kaya. "KA-Ka-Ka-Kaya!?"

"Usopp!" Kaya exclaimed as she jumped up and hugged him, "It's so good to see you."

"But- How- When...Jones?"

"You know him?"

"Sort of. What are you doing here? I thought you were too sick to even leave your bed."

"It's been a while, Usopp. I got better. I was the apprentice of the Town Doctor until Vyse showed up. I went with him so I could learn more from your Ship's Doctor. I can't wait to see the Friends you've made. Where are they? Let's go find them."

Back at the Navy Base, Zilivan Bane's men had brought Galcian and Rameriez the Inspector's Ship.

"All the Soldiers are in the brig, My Lord."

"Excellent. We're at the Navy Base as well."

"Captain Gallant! Vice Captain Remi! So good of you to join us today!" said the Navy Base Captain, "General Ihroh reporting for duty, Sir!"

"At ease, General," Galcian said, "We would like to arrange a meeting with the men who have fought Monkey D. Luffy."

"Sir, May I ask why?"

Galcian looked over at Rameriez. Rameriez nodded, "Monkey D. Luffy is believed to becoming more dangerous, and by finding out what his attack strategy is, we believe will help us stop him."

"Right away then, Sirs!"

The interrogation room was covered in 5 foot thick steel walls, a single door, and a window, 1 foot thick. The door opened, and Galcian and Rameriez turned around. Axe Hand Morgan walked in First, his hand and axe wrapped in steel, and his ankles cuffed together so he had to take small steps.

Don Grieg walked in next, similarly bound like Morgan.

Sawtooth Arlong had a steel muzzle around his entire head, leaving his nose and mouth useless to fight with. His back fin was also wrapped in steel, apparently trying to use it to escape once or twice.

King Wapol had Seastone Cuffs on, making him walk slowly from weakness.

Ex-Warlord Crocodile also had Seastone Cuffs, as well as a steel sphere to sheath his hook.

The five criminals took a seat. Galacician signaled his men to take out the other Navy soldiers. "Greetings, Terrors of the Seas. I suppose you're wondering why you've been called here today?"

Silence.

"Not talking? That's fine, I just want you to hear me out. You've all faced Monkey D. Luffy at one point or another," The five men glared at Galcian, "And you all lost everything because of it. Power, An Empire, Wealth, Free-"

"Shut up and get to the point, Pewman," Arlong said.

"Have any of you heard of the New World that's coming?"

"Arcadia, right?" Crocodile said.

"Correct. I am Lord Galcian, Once Emperor of All The Skies, Even the Moons bowed to me. Until a Pirate named Vyse came. After fighting him and his crew, I lost it all."

"We don't care about what happened to you," Wapol said.

"You will soon. Vyse has already come to this world, and according to the information we have gathered, he has teamed up with Luffy an-," One of the Bane's busted in and handed Galcian a piece of paper before leaving again, closing the door behind him, "...and has just taken out Warlord Gecko Moria within the last twenty-four hours."

"no..." Grieg said to himself.

"Impossible," Crocodile said, "There's no way that Rubber Boy and that Vyse guy took out Moria."

"What you do or don't believe is up to you, but the truth stands. You all lost so much, and I bet you'll want it back. For those of you who want revenge on Luffy, you may join me, and together, we will get rid of those who stood in our way. Who will join!?"

"Getting rid of the Government's Most wanted will surly get back my title as Captain," Morgan said, "I'm in."

"Only the strong survive," Grieg said, "If the Strong come together, we will be Stronger. I'm in."

"Working with Pewmans. I'm usually against it, but there are a few rare exceptions I make," Arlong stated, "I'm in."

"That bubblegum man will pay for attacking a King!"

'Project Utopia will be back on track,' Crocodile thought, "I'm in."

"Very well," Galcian said, turning towards Rameriez.

"We will be back at 10 o'clock Shift Switch to bring you out."

"But," Galcian added, "If any of you try to betray us, remember this," He brought out his sword, "You're dealing with the two men who were able to single handedly able to take over the world." Galcian and Rameriez left as the Bane guards came in to take the prisoners back to their cells.

Shane took his head away from the wall. Having a cell next to the Interrogation Room was really nice for entertainment, if you had sharp hearing like Shane did.

"That's interesting," Shane said to himself, "Very interesting."


	29. Chapter 30

(Sec 56) * * * * *

"Hey, skeleton! Is the song over already?"

"Play us another one! Just one more!"

"Yohohoho, The song that I once sang with my commrades who were so full of life...That was the final performance of the Rumbar Pirates," Brook placed his hand on the shell that had finished it's song a while ago, "During the fifty years when I was drifting alone in that dark, dark, sea of mists...how many times did I listen to this...?" He picked the shell up at stared at it with Luffy, Sanji and Usopp while everyone else partied, "On that vast ship, all on my own, this song was the only thing that made me feel that there was life besides my own." He paused, "However, today, I have finally found a new conviction in my heart, so I shall seal away this Tone Dial." Brook took off his head bandage again and opened his skull, "There we go~!"

"You can o that!?" Usopp and Sanji said, apperently forgetting he already did it once.

Brook continued playing Bink's Sake on the Higher Keys, "I now know that Laboon is still safe and waiting for me, I have gotten my shadow back, and c"an escape from these cursed waters."

"Yup," Luffy said as he rolled onto his back on top of the piano.

"This Dial, with everyone's voices recorded upon it, is no longer going to be used so I can think back on the past, It is a song for Laboon. Everyday was painful. I was truly unable to see any hope. But now, Luffy-san..." He stopped playing.

"Hmm?"

"I...I am..." tears fell onto his hands, "I am so glad to be Alive!" Everyone stopped partying and looked over at Brook and all smiled. Even the Unconscious Zoro. "I truly am glad to be Alive!"

"Well, sure!" Luffy said laughing.

"Finally, this day has come!" He took a breath, "Oh...May I join your crew?"

"Sure, go ahead!"

"WHAT!?" Usopp and Sanji exclaimed again, "Just Like That!?"

"He Joined!?" Chopper and Frank joined in.

Nami let out a scream as Zoro frowned, still unconcious. Robin laughed.

"I don't see why everyone's so surprised," Vyse said to Aika, "Didn't we do that all the time?"

"Pretty much."

"Whatever!" All the Straw Hat guys said as they tossed Brook through the air, "We've got our Musician! Hooray!"

"A musician!" Luffy exclaimed, "He's just bones, but he's a musician!"

"Yohohoho!"

"He's so light, too!" Chopper said.

"The lightness is another thing that's great about you!" Usopp said as he and Chopper grabbed Brook and through him across the room.

"YES! Because I am only bones~!" Brook stood on one foot and started clapping, "Just Bones! Just Bones! Just Bones! Just Bones!"

"He's so funny!" Luffy said through his laughter.

"Why do we keep gathering people like that?" Nami asked.

"I don't really understand," Lola said, "but they seem happy, don't they, Namizou?"

"I don't get it either," Large Risky Brother said, "But CHEERS!"

"Kenpai!"

Brook head butted the wall and put his arms back, "45 degrees!" Brook went deep into thought as every laughed, 'Laboon...I will not turn back. We will always push on, strait forward. That path was the only one we could take in order to come back to you. To travel around the world was our goal, and you were waiting at the finish line. Right? So I will not turn back. I will carry on and see you again. Please, Wait for me! It will just be a bit longer.'

At the Twin Capes, Laboon let out a mighty roar filled with joy. The mark of the Straw Hats still freshly painted on his head. The Flower-ossan put down his paper. "What is it, Laboon?" he asked with a smile. Laboon let out another roar, "You're in a really good mood today, huh?" Laboon shut his eyes and let out another roar.

"Yohohohohoho!" Brook exclaimed as he kneeled down and slammed a wanted poster on the floor, "Allow me to introduce myself!"

"Huh?" Franky said, lifting up his sunglasses.

"A wanted poster? You had a Bounty?" Sanji said, his cigarette half out of his mouth.

"I have still not introduced myself properly...I am 'Dead Bones', and my name is Brook! I am a wanted man, my title is 'Humming Brook'! My current bounty is 33 million Bellies! Once the leader of an escort convoy, and afterwards Musician and Swordsman, and eventually acting Captain, of the Rumbar Pirates! I offer my Services and my Life to captain Straw Hat Luffy! I hope to not be a burden to you all! I shall work myself to the bone! YOHOHOHOHO!"

"YOSH!" Luffy said, holding up to mugs, "Let's have one more toast!"

"While the rum is still here!" Jones exclaimed.

Everyone chugged their mugs and continued to party.

A few hours later, Vyse decided that it was time Vail got his interview. He found Vail at one of the masts of Thriller Bark, making cuts here and their.

"Hey, Vail," Vyse greeted, "What are you working on?"

"Captain Vyse!" Vail said as he turned around.

"I'm not your captain, yet."

"Well, I was cutting this wood down. This ship has been damaged beyond repair, and a lot of the parts have seem to have gone missing. I was thinking we could use this as lumber for something."

"Nice way to think ahead," Vyse said as he looked at Vail, "So, what's your story?"

"...it was a long time ago..."

"OH Flashback!" Jones said popping out of nowhere.

"What? No! JONES!" Vail said as he and Vyse got sucked into a portal.

Vyse opened his eyes, "Uh, where are we?"

"Lower Valua," Vail answered.

"But WHEN is the more important question," Jones stated.

"Jones..." Vail started to ask, "Why?"

"Because, I knew you'd try and hide parts of your past you don't like. But I know that if you do that, they'll come up later anyway. I'm just saving you from yourself."

"RAAAH!" Vail threw a punch at Jones, but he vanished, and Vail's arm went through a wall, like a ghost. "What the?"

"Honestly, I've had enough time with my powers that I can imitate a Ghost of Christmas," Jones disembodied voice said, "I'll be back when we need to time jump around. Dera-shi-shi-shi-shi~!" Jones' laugh echoed until there was silence.

"I hate him sometimes," Vail said as he started walking away.

"He gets on my nerves, too. Where are we going."

"My house. That's where it all started."

It had been a while since Vyse had seen Lower Valua. A year had past since it was destroyed, and it was completely remodeled. The sad towns folk and the dreariness of the buildings always got Vyse mad when he visited before. How could a ruler let their people live this way? He took comfort in knowing that everything will change for the better in years to come.

After walking for about twenty minutes, they arrived at a house that was apart from the rest of Lower Valua nearby the Docks. "Here we are," Vail stated. They went inside, "Introductions. The big guy is my dad, Jerrain and those are my twin brothers, Jak and Jek."

"What are they working on?"

"I don't know. They usually did a lot of projects together with me."

"I got some more scrap metal!" a younger Vail said as he came through the front door.

"Excellent work, my boy," Jerrain said, "bring it over. We just need a little more time and it'll be done."

Vail and Vyse walked over and took a look at what they were working on.

"That...That look's like Drachma's Arm," Vyse stated.

"It is," Vail said, "Jones believes this is where it all started."

"You knew Drachma?"

"Not really. He and my mom were childhood friends. You know those stories that no one escaped from lower Valua?"

"Yeah."

"You weren't the first. Drachma was able to do it decades before you were born. He told mom he always wanted to be a fisherman. He was the first person to escape. He came back a couple days ago looking for a doctor. He lost his eye and arm to Rhaknam, as well as his son. No doctor would help him, so looked to an old friend. Mom and dad's families were good engineers, and were able to build cybernetic parts. Drachma was the first we had to test them on, since everyone else was afraid of living the rest of their lives as half human half freak."

"Where is your mom?"

"She's probably cleaning Drachma's wound in that room over there."

Vyse and Vail walked over. Drachma's shoulder was a bloody mess with all the bandages.

"Thank you, Mia," Drachma said.

"Oh hush," Mia said, "What are friends for?"

"Honey?" Jerrain asked, "It's finished. You want us to install it now?"

"Now dear, Drachma's already gone under a lot of stress," Mia stated with a smile on her face, "The pain from installing that would kill him now. He needs rest."

"Let's do the time warp agai~n," Jones said as he grabbed Vyse's and Vail's shoulders.

"That's getting old," Vyse stated.

"It happens," Vail said as he looked around, "Oh no...Not the docks!"

"What?"

"It's the worst day of my life. A few years after that day with Drachma."

Vyse looked at the Valuan Warship they were standing on, "Why? What happened?"

Vail just stood there, frozen with fear.

"Here comes another!" Jek said to his twin, Jak, as he passed on a Metal Plate.

"I got it!" Jak said as he started to place it on the ground, "All yours, little bro!"

Younger Vail turned to the lovely young lady next to him, "You ready, Elaine?"

"You know it." both of them started running around the plate, shotting bolts from their nail guns.

"Time!" Vail shouted.

"8 seconds, a new record!" Jerrain called as he looked at his watch, "Nice job! We'll have this heap of junk back in the skies in no time at all."

"You worked on Valuan Battle Ships? That's-" Vyse was cut off.

"No, that's not the worst part about it," Vail watched his family work. Vyse watched in silence as the day passed.

"Lunch break!" Mia called as she brought everyone food.

"Alright!" Jerrain and the twins shouted as they got off the ship.

"Elaine, wait a second," Younger Vail called.

"What is it, dear?"

"We've been going out for a while now, and...um...I was wondering..."

"Vail, you can say it. You don't have to be so nervous."

Vail got down on one knee and pulled out a small box, "will...will you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a silver ring.

Elaine gasped, "How, how did you get this?"

"I bought it by saving up money. I've been doing extra work so I could get it for you."

"It's beautiful...of course I'll marry you!"

Vyse stood there as Vail and Elaine hugged, "That's the worst day of your life?"

"It hasn't gotten their yet," Vail said, trying to hold back his tears.

The day went by, it was almost nightfall.

"Okay!" Jerrain shouted, "We're taking down the mast!" Jerrain, Jak and Jek were all holding it down as Vail went and undid the bolts. Jerrain stared to back up, letting the mast down slowly as Jak and Jek held it steady. As he backed up, there was a small patch of oil on the ground. He slipped, causing him to throw the mast at a nearby crane, causing it to start falling.

Vail looked at the crane and where it was going to fall, "NO! Elaine!" Vail jumped off the ship and ran down the dock. Elaine stood there like a deer in headlights, "Elaine!" Vail shouted as he jumped to push her out of the way just in time to save her, but the crane landed on the left half of his body.

"VAIL!" Elaine, Mia, Jak and Jek shouted.

"That's why it's the worst," Vail said to Vyse.

"It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. With your hands on your hips, You bring your knees in ti~ght. But it's the pelvic thru~st, that really drives you insa~ne! Let's do the Time Warp agai~-"

POW! Vail and Vyse turned around and punched Jones in the gut and sent him through a few wall, even if he didn't crash, it was still satisfying.

"You don't have to continue with your story if you don't want to," Vyse said after a couple minutes.

"...No. If I want to join your crew, I have to face what happened. I've denied it for too long."

"...I understand. Jones, you can do it now."

"Maybe I don't want to. That could have hurt!"

"Did it?"

"...no..." Jones said as he warped them away.

"Next stop, one week later!" Jones announced as he vanished.

Vyse and Vail looked around. Vail's Dad and Brothers were all sitting around, their heads hung low with grief. Drachma came in, "I came as soon as I heard! Is the lad alright?"

"M-Mia says the boy should be fine," Jerrain said, crying a little.

"Drachma had been returning for visits every month since he got his new arm," Vail told Vyse, "during those five years he became somewhat of an uncle. I reminded him so much of his son. Elaine believed herself to be responsible for what happened to me, she stayed at her house looked in her room that week i was stuck in bed."

"So, what's happening now?" Vyse asked.

"My mom is trying to get the new machinery on my body. I had nightmares about the pain in my unconscious state. I probably would have died, but I knew deep down I still had a life worth living. Through that alone, I survived."

The door to the Room Drachma was staying in opened up, Mia walking out.

"How is he?" Drachma asked, not skipping a beat.

"How's our boy?" Jerrain asked.

"He'll...He'll be alright!" Mia said. As she burst into tears, Jerrain got up and caught her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

Vyse and Vail walked into the recovery room. The younger Vail Vyse saw looked nothing like the Vail beside him. The younger Vail's machine work was huge and bulky looking, while the Vail standing next to him looked more normal.

"They did everything they could," Vail stated after a few moments, "but their engineering expertise and tools could only do so much."

"Mind if I Fast Forward a couple of days?" Jones asked.

"Please."

The younger Vail was looking into a broken full length mirror. "We did everything we could, son," Jerrain said, "We wish we could have done a better job."

Vail was silent for a moment, "What happened to Elaine?"

"She was unharmed in the incident, but she feels terrible about what happened," Mia said.

"...I'd like to see her. Just to let her know I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, mom. I'm sure."

Jak and Jek came in a little while later with Elaine.

"He's waiting for you in here, sweety," Mia said.

Mia walked into Vail's room. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. I wanted to tell you I'll be alright," Vail said, trying to hide his robotic half in the shadows.

"Oh, Vail," Elaine said as she walked over to Vail and gave him a hug, "I'm so glad to hear you say that."

"You're...okay with this?" Vail asked.

"You know I never cared for looks. I love you Vail, and nothing will ever change that."

"I can understand hating the whole half robot thing," Vyse said after a while, "But she still loved you and wanted to get married."

"There was a different reason for me hating that body. Jones?"

"How much?"

"Another Month."

"Right."

It was nearly noon, and the Family was eating breakfast. Elaine and Vail had gotten married, and Drachma was visiting again later that day. Everyone was in a good mood, until there was a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Mia asked, "The Fortress doesn't open for another ten minutes." She got up and answered the door. There were a few Valuan Soldiers and Galcain at the door. "Lord Galcain! What an honor it is. What brings you here?"

"Everyone in this building is under house arrest."

"What ever for?"

"We have reason to believe you have been leaking secrets to outsiders on how our Valuan Battle Ships are built. Every shipwrite is under house arrest until we capture the ones behind this." Galcain left, leaving the soldiers to guard the door.

"Well we don't have anything to do with it, so we should be fine."

"Mom," Jak started.

"We did it," Jek finished.

"What?"

"We were selling the secrets to raise some money so we could get little brother better parts," the twins said simultaneously, "We didn't think we'd get caught."

"Honey, what do we do?" Jerrain asked, "We'll be executed, too."

"Excuse me," said a voice from outside, "but I'd like to meet my friends, and you're in my way."

"Sorry, sir, no one is allowed in or out until Galcain gives the order."

"Fine, you leave me no choice." Bang! Crash! Pow! "What the heck is going on?" Drachma asked as he stepped through the door.

"Drachma!" Mia exclaimed, "You just beat up three Valuan Guards!"

"Yeah yeah, that doesn't answer my question."

"We need to get out of town," Jerrain said, "or we're all dead."

"Gather your things then, I'll get you out of here. We've got a half hour before the Gate Shuts." They got to the Little Jack fifteen minutes later, "Now stay below deck and everything should be fine."

"Drachma," Mia said, "If we get caught, don't kill yourself for our sake. We're stowaways and you don't know us."

Drachma was silent, "I...I will."

They got outside of the gate before they were stopped. "Excuse us," a Valuan Soldier started, "but we are under orders to check every ship that comes out today. Do you mind?"

"...Not at all," Drachma said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Kids," Mia said, "There's two life boats, get in and get out."

"But mom!" Vail said in a harsh wisper, "There's only room for two in each one, what about you and dad?"

"We've lived long lives, boys," Jerrain said, "You all have your whole lives ahead of you, now GO!"

The loving parents pushed the kids in the life boats. Vail and Elaine were in one, while the twins got the other.

"HEY! What do you think you're doing?" Said one of the 2 soldiers as they came down the stairs, "Quickly, go warn the ship and have them either captured or blown out of the sky! As for you two," The guard glared at them, "You're coming with us."

Jak and Jek's raft had been hit and was losing control, "We're going back for them!" Vail shouted as he tried to steer the ship the other way, "Why does thing have to jam now?"

"Vail, They're not firing at us."

"That's great! But if I can't steer this thing, we're going to crash!" Vail shouted as they headed for the dessert floor of Nasr

"No..." Vail said as he took a closer look at the life raft his younger self was on, "it was YOUR FAULT!?" He turned towards Jones and pointed towards his ship, "You're the reason I couldn't steer, couldn't save my brothers, couldn't save My WIFE!?"

Vyse took a look at the ship, seeing there was indeed another Jones, holding a course for the ground.

"Well, I think that's enough time travel for one day, hmm?"

"WHY!?"

"Oh come now, I have my reasons. And they're good ones, too. Your story has been told in full, so it's time we headed back." With the snap of his fingers, they all warped back to Thriller Bark, the exact same time as when they left, "Before another word, She's alive and well. Good luck." Jones vanished.

Vail and Vyse stood there for a moment before either spoke.

"What is your goal if you get to join my crew?" Vyse asked.

"Jones has taken care of me from time to time. He said that by traveling with you, I should be able to find Elain."

"Do you believe that?"

"...Yes. He has never lied to me before, and I wish to find her. You're looking for a helmsman?"

"Not anymore," Vyse said, holding out his hand, "Welcome aboard."


	30. Chapter 31

(Sec 57) * * * * *

'Okay,' Jones thought to himself, 'I reunited Usopp and Kaya, Vail joined Vyse, Most of the Rolling Pirates are watching The Adventures of the Captains to spread the word, and I've eaten every valuable weapon on Thriller Bark...Time to check on Shane.' He opened another Door and reappeared in Shane's Cell with his invisibility power on.

"I was wondering if you were coming back," Shane said in a quiet whisper.

"When have I EVER let a friend down? Oh, here's your potion. I got to make it during some time traveling."

"Thanks," Shane said as he drank it, "Now if I recall right, you were the one that let the Marines get me in the first place."

"Hey, you agreed to let me do that, remember?"

"Not really."

"I got you drunk the night before. I turn you in, I collect the reward money, and then let some poor folk have the money."

"Really?"

"No, I made it up. Of course really!"

"It's hard to tell with you."

"Alright, I filled my end of the bargin, what's happening?"

"Some guy name Galcain came through and got Morgan, Greig, Arlong, Wapol, and Crocodile to join him in his campain to get revenge on Vyse and Luffy."

"Is that so? When's the break out?"

"At 10:00, the Shift Switch."

"Lets see," Jones thought as he looked at his watch, "That's in another hour, better make this quick. Wait."

"What?"

"You want out, or do you want fun?"

"Is both an option?"

"Excellent. This will just be a few moments." Jones left through one door and appeared just outside the Navy Base, and started walking through.

"HALT! This is a Restricted Area!" Jones ignored them and started punching through the Thick Steel Doors. "By order of the World Government, STOP!" The Navy Soldiers started firing, but Jones just absorbed the bullets. After about 5 minutes, he was standing in the middle of the Cell Room.

"Halt!" Jones decided he had his fun and let them speak, "I am General Ihroh, Commander of this base. Who do you think you are!?"

"Me? Well, mate, I be Captain Jack Sparrow."

"What is your business here?"

"I am here for one man, and one man only. If you release him, I shall not harm a single marine, and will even repair the damage I have done to your base. If you Refuse, let's just say things are about to get messy."

"You obviously don't know who you're dealing with. Since this base has been built, not one an has escaped from these walls, Today shall not be any exception!"

"Back up," Jones his hand and broke out a wide smile, "not ONE?"

"That is correct."

"Oh, you shouldn't have said that. Now that I know this place has a spotless record, I have to scratch it." he walked over to Shane's Cell and grabbed the bars.

"Good luck breaking those, Those are fresh bars and are made from the finest metals in the world."

"Copy Copy," Jones said in a whisper, "Rust Rust." The bars started to corrode, aging quickly. Jones, using a small fraction of his power, ripped the bars from their walls, then using a kick to break the Seastone Cuffs on Shane's wrists. Shane took this time to revert into his man-beast form using his Dog-dog Devil Fruit Model Raccoon powers.

"What in the world!?"

"I have eaten the Shape Shift Fruit," Jones announced, "Now my friend and I have a very special treat for you tonight," Jones started mutating his body as he grew several more arms. The navy Soldiers watched in horror of what was happening before them.

"Um...'Jack'?" Shane asked, "What are you doing?"

"You remember our fighting style? This is a whole new level for it."

"Oh boy!"

When Jones had finished his transformation, he had eight arms, three of them holding one guitar, two holding drum sticks, and another three holding a bass guitar, "Our special treat, Is a very unique fighting style. I play the music, and my friend here fights to the beat. This is a song from a band name The Dragon's Force, The Flame of the Fire. Good Night Navy Base!"

Jones started playing. After about 40 second he started singing, "On a cold winter morning, In the time before the light, In flames of death's eternal reign, We ride towards the fight. When the darkness is falling down, And the times are tough all right, The sound of evil laughter, Falls around the world tonight. Fighting hard, fighting on for the steel, Through the wastelands evermo~re, The scattered souls will feel the hell, Bodies wasted on the shores."

"Jones?" Shane asked as he stood behind him.

"On the blackest plains in hell's domain, We watch them as they go, In fire and pain, now once again we know. So now we're flyin', we're free, We're free before the thunderstorm-"

"JONES!" Shane shouted.

"WHAT!?" Jones stopped, "I was just getting into the groove!"

"It's over."

Jones looked around. Every Soldier in the base was beaten to a pulp, "That's just bloody great! I spent weeks playing that song to get it right and then you pull THIS off!? That's an eight minute song!"

"Is it MY fault you chose one of the fastest songs?"

"...YES! Yes it is!" Jones shouted after reverting to his normal state.

"Whatever, can we go? I really want to stretch my legs again."

"Alright, but meet me at The Shabondy Archipelago in a week, got it?"

"Right-oh," Shane said as he rushed off running across the water with his incredible speed.

About a half hour later, Galacian, Rameriez and Bane showed up.

"Odd," Bane said, "Seems someone has done the work for us."

"That doesn't sit well with me," Galcain said, "Could someone have been listening to us?"

"Impossible," Bane answered, "Those wall are made from five feet of solid steel. Lets just get them and get out. The sooner the better."

The three of them went to the More Dangerous Cells near the back of the prison and let out the men they had talked to earlier.

"What the heck happened?" Arlong said as he stepped out, stretching his jaw, "It's like a war zone."

"These were highly trained elite soldiers," Crocodile informed, "They couldn't have gone down easily."

"If anything," Morgan started.

"This just proves their Military Might," Grieg finished.

"Enough," Rameriez said, "Lets go before the next shift starts fresh. We have work to do."

They brought out the Marine Soldiers from the Ship's Brig and put them on the shore. The Villain having united, left the Island back into the Grand Line.

"Revenge," Galcain said, "Will soon be ours."


	31. Chapter 32

(Sec 58) * * * * *

Two days have past since Vail has joined Vyse's Crew, and Brook joining Luffy's. Two days Since Galcain released five of Straw Hat's Enemies. Three Days of solid partying took place at Thriller Bark, and it was coming to a close. Well, almost.

"Yohohohohoho! Magnificent!" Brook exclaimed at the Grave before him, "Thank you so much, Franky-san, Usopp-san!"

"No problem at all!" Franky said, "This was easy!"

"My design was a great success!" Usopp said, standing tall and proud.

"I picked the flowers!" Chopper said as he jumped up and down.

"Thank you so much, Chopper-san!" Brook said as he took off his hat and bowed to him.

"Idiot!" Chopper said as he started his usual happy dance, "No way I'd be happy from something like that, you jerk!"

Brook put his hat back on and looked at the grave marker dedicated to his fallen friends and comrades, "What a magnificent grave. After all, I couldn't possibly expect you to bring all those bones with you on Lion-chan."

"Call it 'Thousand Sunny' next time, ok?" Franky corrected.

"So strange that this Thriller Bark should have come from our own homeland, West Blue...but here, in the earth of our homeland, they might at last be able to rest in piece."

"Then, Brook," Usopp said, "we'll be going now."

Franky, Chopper and Usopp left Brook to play his final respect. Brook tipped his hat to them before sitting on the ground with his violin. Playing Bink's Sake, he said the words in his mind.

'Yohohoho, yohohoh~o. Yohohoho, yohohoh~o. Yohohoho, yohohoh~o. Yohohoho, yohohoh~o. Going to deliver Bink's Sake, Following the sea's warm breeze, Riding on the waves. Far across the ocean tide, Greeting the merry evening sun, Painting circles in the sky, As birds sing Lullabi-' -Thip-

Brook turned around, and saw Zoro was finally up, and walking towards the grave. He took one of the four swords he was carrying and stuck it in the ground, jamming it about halfway, letting it stick strait up. Zoro sat down.

"Ah, that surprised me," Brook said after a moment, "So, you have finally recovered?"

"Yeah, I just overslept a little."

"Is that..."

"It's a dead sword...Yubashiri. I was gonna give it a proper burial." Zoro put his hands together and bowed to his old blade. Brook stared in amasment.

"Um..." Brook spoke after about a minute.

"Hmm?"

"Ah, no..." Brook was silent for a moment, "Ah, that's right, I became a part of your crew."

"Huh, is that so?" Zoro said with a smug smile, crossing his arms, "Well, you've got bad luck."

"Eh?" Brook leaned in a little closer.

"This is a pretty crazy crew, you know?"

"Yohohohoho...It seems that way. I will do my best until I die," Brook paused a moment, "Ah, but I am already dead. Yohohohoho!"

At the Delphinus, Vyse and his crew were setting up for the next voyage with the Straw Hats. As Vyse checked the list of materials they had, Jones came along.

"Hey, Vyse?"

"Davy? Where have you been hiding?"

"Around. I wanted to wait until the fun was over before breaking the news to you."

"What news?" Vyse asked with a slight grimmace on his face.

"This newspaper ought to explain it," Jone said, handing the paper over to Vyse.

"So there are some escaped criminals, so?"

"Look at the picture from the security cams."

"...no way..." Vyse said in a whisper. Among the men in the picture was just not Luffy's old enemies, but Galcain, Rameriez, and Lord Bane were there, too. "How long have you known of this!?"

"That doesn't matter. What DOES matter, is that you get the Delphinus back to Enrique. If Galcain and his new friends go back to the skies, their going to have a powerful ship."

"Why can't you warn them? You can go anywhere in the blink of an eye!"

"It's not my place. You are the Hero of Arcadia, your word would be taken more seriously then mine. And I wanted you to take the Delphinus to the New World!"

"Why?"

"Oh...um...while you were all sleeping, I modified it so it could go underwater. You now own, The Dolphin!" Vyse just glared at him. "No?"

"Fix it to the way it was. I need to talk to Aika and Luffy."

"Eye, Eye, Eye!" Vyse just stared for a moment. "I included a third for the EYE patch. Dera-shi-shi-shi-shi!...too much?"

"Just get to work," Vyse said with a sigh.

Vyse eventually found Aika at one of the Highest points of the island.

"Hey, Vyse! Isn't it great? We'll soon get to sail with the straw hat again."

'Oh, man,' Vyse thought, 'she is NOT making this any easier.'

Aika looked at Vyse, "Don't try to hide that look."

"What look?" Vyse said, straightening up.

"The one you get when you have bad news. I won't get mad."

"We can't go sailing with them yet."

"WHAT!?"

"I'd love to, believe me, but somethings come up."

"What could be so bad we have to make a detour?"

"This," Vyse said as he held up the picture from the paper Jones gave him.

"...You have GOT to be kidding me! I can understand Bane still being alive, but the other two are DEAD! We watched them die!"

"I don't know how they're alive either, but we need to warn our world and return the Delphinus. We'll join up with Luffy and the crew again in a few days."

"You realize I'm going, too, right?" Drachma said as he walked up.

"Drachma?"

"This would normally be the time when I leave again, but now that Vail is a part of your crew, so am I."

"Why's that?"

"I am Vail's God Father, as decided by his parents before the Valuan soldiers took them to be executed. Where he goes, I go from now on."

"Well," Vyse started after a few moments, "Now that that's all cleared up, I need to let Luffy know. I'll meet you back at the ship in a little while."

Vyse headed down to the docks.

"OK!" Luffy said full of excitement, "Now that Zoro's awake, let's head out to sea! Let's head off to our next adventure!"

"YEAH!!!" Exclaimed the Straw Hat Crew.

Chopper looked over at Zoro, "ZORO!? You took off your bandages again!?"

"Yeah, 'cause they're hard to move around in."

"I put them there so you wouldn't move around so much!" Chopper signaled Kaya and both of them brought out a dozen or so rolls of Bandage Tape. The two doctors charged at Zoro and jumped on him.

"Hey! Get off me! What are you-? GAH!"

In a matter of seconds, they had Zoro completely mummified. "You should listen to your doctors," Kaya scolded, "You'll get better quicker that way."

"Are you already setting sail?" Lola asked.

"You can take Brook's ship," Franky said, "Me and the others already fixed the helm and the sails."

"Thanks! After all you've done, we're really indebted to you. We couldn't thank you enough no matter how hard we tried. Will you marry me?" Lola said with a wink.

Franky took out his comb and started fixing his hair, "You seem like a nice lad, but I'm afraid I'm far too super for you."

"It's a real shame to see you guys go!" Large Brother said, "Couldn't you stay and party for just a few more days?"

"No way!" Luffy said with sparkles in his eyes, "We're going to Fishman Island! I'm really excited! I bet we'll meet some funny guys there!"

"And some beautiful Mermaids!" Sanji said with a heart in his eye and his legsmaking him prance around, "Ah, what I wouldn't love to do with one of them~!"

"I wonder if the mermaids will let me see their panties..." Brook said with a hand on his hat.

"Hey, hey! Don't be ridiculous!" the Skinny Brother said, "Mermaids don't wear panties!" Brook and Sanji tried to keep their noses from exploding, but to no avail. "While we're talking about how beautiful mermaids are, I hear even the Pirate Empress, Hancock, was totally overwelmed..."

Brook, Sanji, and Skinny Brother started dancing, "Mermaids~! Mermaids~!"

"Surly they have tails instead of legs anyway, right?" Robin inputted.

"how do you guys know that anyway?" Usopp asked.

"Oh, well," Large Brother started, "about three years ago, before we came here, we went to Fishman Island! That place is the best!"

"Lola," Nami asked, "you went to the New World!?"

"We didn't go there! We were born in the New World! My mama was a pirate, too. AH! That's right," Lola took out a piece of paper and tore it in half, "This is my mama's Vivrecard. I'll let you have it."

"Paper?"

"WOW!" Large Brother exclaimed, "That's incredible! Captain Lola's mama is a great pirate! Take good care of that! It'll definitely be useful later!"

"What's a Vivrecard?"

"Huh? You don't know?" Lola asked.

"Captain Lola," Skinny Brother started, "They only make Vivrecards in the New World."

"Ah, that's true...This is no ordinary paper," Lola said, pointing to her half, "It's resistant to both Fire and Water. What you do is take a few of your own fingernails to a shop, and then use them to make you a special sheet of paper. That is the 'Card of Life', the Vivrecard. What you do is tear off pieces and give them to friends or family if they're going away."

"...And then...?" Nami asked.

"Look at this," Lola said, placing her half on the ground, "This is the Vivrecard my mama gave me." She lifted her finger and the paper moved a couple inches away from her.

"It moved!" Nami exclaimed.

"No matter where in the world the Card Pieces are, they share a connection," Lola continued to explain, "I can always tell which way my mama is, although I can't tell how far away."

"Wow," Chopper said, sparkles in his eyes, "so mysterious! And they have lots of them in the New World, right?"

"It's quite convenient," Lola went on, "here, I'll sign the piece of my mama's Vivrecard for you. If you ever run into trouble, just follow this and go see Mama," she handed the piece back to Nami, "And be sure to tell her that I'm doing fine, too."

"Thank you, Lola."

"I think I have one of those, too," Luffy said.

"I just thought of that, too," Nami said, turning to Luffy, "Isn't this just like that white piece of paper Ace gave you back then?"

Luffy thought back for a moment.

"_That paper will allow us to meet again,"-Ace_

Luffy took off his hat, "So, that's what he meant..." Luffy took the paper out from the inside lining of the band on his hat, "here it is...but it's burning, and seems like it's gotten smaller."

Lola and Skinny Brother Gasped. "Wait, you!" Lola said, "Let me see that!" Lola held the card in the palm of her hand, "Yes, this is certainly a Vivrecard...But I didn't tell you this part yet...This paper also reflects the owner's Vitality and Life Force! This belonged to someone important to you, right?"

"Yeah!" Luffy said with a smile on his face, "It's my brother's!"

There was a small silence.

"Lola?" Nami asked.

"I hate to tell you this, but this person's life...Is Vanishing!"

The Straw hats got on their ship and were about to set sail when Vyse came on board. He saw Luffy trying to get into the kitchen.

"Meat!"

"Uh, Luffy?"

Luffy tilted his head back so he was looking at Vyse upside down, "What's up?"

"I Have a problem that I need to attend to, so we'll have to catch up with you in a couple days."

"Not again. What could be so ba-"

"Get away from the Kitchen!" Sanji yelled, kicking Luffy in the back, sending him to the sky.

"AAAAaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh...."

"...A little harsh, wasn't it?"

"That guy has eaten us out of too much food as is. Last thing we need is to restock in the middle of nowhere." Sanji looked at the paper in Vyse's hand, "Hey, what's that?"

"You better call your crew, this is pretty bad."

"aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" *CRASH!*

"So you guys have to go back home?" Nami asked.

"We need to return the Delphinus, But we'll be back in a couple of days. The sooner we leave, the sooner we meet again."

"Good Luck!" The Straw Hat crew shouted as Vyse went back to the Delphinus.

"All systems are go, captain!" Aika said.

"Engines at full power!" Fina reported.

"Alright, Vail" Vyse started, "think you can handle it?"

"No sweat."

"Drachma, how you doing?" Vyse said through the new Den Den Muchis they got.

"Quit worrying about me. I can take care of myself."

"Okay, I get it. You're fine. Next stop, The Valuan Palace!"

As the two ships headed into the sky, Jones opened another portal.

The Mouth Gates of Thriller Bark Opened as the Thousnad Sunny Go sailed through. The Rolling Pirates stopp on the sides of the gates, shouting their last thank yous and good byes, while the Straw Hats returned the favor.

"See you guys later!" Luffy Shouted.

"We'll never forget what you did for us, Straw Hat!" Skinny Brother shouted.

"The Sun...!" Large Broth exclaimed, "Thanks for giving us the sun back!"

"Everyone!" Brook shouted, Franky crying next to him, "Be carful to not get yourselves wiped out! Yohohohoho!"

"Don't say crazy stuff like that!" Usopp scolded.

"Lola!" Nami shouted, Thanks for the Vivrecard! Stay Well!"

"If you meet my Mama, give her my reguards! Let's meet again someday, Namizou!"

"SET SAIL!" Luffy comanded.

As the Sunny Go sailed over the horizon, the shouts died out.

A while later, after everyone settled down on the Sunny Go again, Brook started playing 'Bink's Sake'.

"Luffy?" Nami asked, "Is it really okay with you?"

"Huh? Ah, about Ace's paper, huh?" Luffy remembered, placing a hand on his hat, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Luffy-san," Brook said, pausing his playing for a moment, "I would not object if you wished to take a detour. Time is of no great importance to Laboon and myself. To 'Live' and 'Meet One More', that is all that matters."

"Luffy," Usopp an Chopper said, "We're all totally fine if you want to take a detour!"

"Yeah!" Frank shouted, arms above his head, "Lets go see the Old Brother Whale!"

"No, it's fine, really!" Luffy said, a smile on his face, "Even if he was in trouble, he wouldn't want me to worry." Sanji started passing out drinks to Robin, Nami and Kaya, "Ace hates being made to look weak," Sanji tossed a mug to Luffy, "If we went to help him, he'd just get pissed off!" Sanji threw a mug at Zoro, nearly making him drop it, "If we do meet up, It'll be as Enemy Pirates!" Sanji tossed a couple more mugs to Brook and Franky, "Ace has his own adventure." Sanji gave the last mugs to Usopp and Chopper.

"That 'Vivrecard' apparently doesn't just shrink when the owner's in bad condition, but will also revert back to how it was once they recover."

"Yeah!" Luffy said, holding up his mug, "If we meet, it'll be at that time. That's why Ace gave me this paper, right?" Luffy let out a laugh, "Oh, and Zoro! You were asleep all along, so we haven't done this yet!"

"Well, let's do it properly then!" Usopp said, Holding his mug up high, followed by the others, "To celebrate the recruitment of our newest companions, The Musician, Brook, and Doctor, Lady Kaya!"

"KANPAI!"

"Much obliged!" Brook said.

"Thank you very much!" Kaya said with one of the biggest smiles Usopp had seen.

"YOSH! Pull the sails!" Luffy commanded after they all had a drink, "We'll launch our way out of here with the Coup de Burst!"

Franky already had the Cola engine ready, "COUP De BURST!" The Thousand Sunny Go went flying through the air.

"YYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOO~!? What is this!?"

Usopp held onto Kaya, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall."


	32. Chapter 33

(Sec 59) * * * * *

Since Vail was driving the ship, Vyse decided to stand on deck. Jones accompanied him after they were back in Arcadia.

"What do you want now?"

"To warn you."

"About what? You already told me Galcain, Rameriez and Bane were not only back, but had teamed up. What else could you possibly warn me about?"

"Your trip back to the Grand Line. If you take the entirety of your crew back on The Little Jack, you're going to run into all sorts of problems."

"Then we'll take my ship, The Albatross Jr."

"Either way, your crew may be strong, but there are only a few of you that can endure the hardships of the Grand Line. Furthermore, By leaving most of your crew here in the Skies, If Galcain and his new friends come along, your crew has had the pleasure of taking him down once and know what to do. They know his tactics, and thanks to the stories from the Straw Hats, they know the others as well."

"Alright, say I take your advice, how many should go with me?"

"Nine, and six of them are here on the ship."

"Are you saying I still have people to recruit?" Vyse turned towards Jones, only to find he pulled off another of his disappearing acts. Vyse sighed, "I don't know why I even bother with him." He turned and walked inside. Valua was coming within range.

Vyse and Aika were escorted to the Valuan Thrown Room.

"Vyse, what a peasant surprise it is to see you here," Enrique greeted, "How was the Grand Line?"

"It was an interesting experience, but we have come back with grave news," Vyse handed Enrique the Paper.

"My word, is it even possible?"

"I'm afraid so. We came to bring the Delphinus back. If Galcain comes here, it's sure to lead to war, and I don't need to tell you how great of a tactician he is."

"I will send word immediately to the others."

"I'll take care of the Nasultain, it's on our way home."

"Wait, how will you be getting back?"

"The Little Jack."

"...Vyse, The Little Jack is no more, remember?"

"THERE you kids are," Drachma said as he walked through, "You couldn't wait for me to dock my ship? Five minutes without telling him the news isn't gonna kill anyone."

"Cap-Captain Drachma!?" Enrique exclaimed, "But, how!?"

"It's a long story," Vyse said, patting Enrique on the shoulder.

"I'll tell it," Jones said, reappearing again, "You guys have a lot to do before going back to the Grand Line."

As the Little Jack left Valua, Aika couldn't help but wonder, "Why does Jones always seem to be in a rush?"

"I don't know," Vyse answered, "There has been a lot going on since Our Leaders met the Elder Stars."

"Why do we trust him?"

"If he intended us any harm, I'm sure he'd have done it by now. You've seen what he can do," Vyse got a little closer to Aika and put his arm around her, "As long as I'm around, I won't let anything hurt you."

"Aww, you're so sweet."

"Would you cut that out? You're making me sick."

Vyse and Aika turned around to meet a smiling Jones. "Way to ruin a moment," Aika said angrily.

"I came by to tell you Enrique doesn't need you to warn Nasultain Rupee. He'll be going their tomorrow anyhow to discuss a new trade route."

"Why didn't he just tell us that when we were there?" Vyse questioned.

"He was about to when Drachma showed up. The return of a dead man can make people forgetful. Dera-shi-shi-shi-shi! I'll be off now. I need to get back home and clean up."

"For what?"

"Just for the sake of cleaning. It's been ages since I've been home." Jones up and vanished again before Vyse and Aika could ask anymore questions.

Later, at Crescent Isle, The Albatross Jr. was set and ready to go, while the Little Jack was safely docked inside.

"You sure you don't want to take Jones' advice?" Drachma asked after Vyse told him what happened earlier.

"I'm sure. If we were taking the Little Jack, of course we wouldn't need everyone. That ship couldn't handle so many people. Besides, the Grand Line is only going to get harder as we go through, we'll need everyone's help."

"I suppose you're right. But what about this?" Drachma was still wearing his Silver arm, but he held up his old one that broke during their fight with Kuma, "The Silver Arm may be powerful, but I liked the Style this one had."

"I can fix that," Vail said as he walked towards them. He held Drachma's damaged arm with his right, while his left flipped through different tools, until it eventually landed on a screwdriver, then switched to a blow torch, and then a polisher. "All Fixed!" Vail said as he handed Drachma's Arm back.  
"That was amazing!" Drachma said as he took off the Silver Arm and replaced it with his old one, "You're engineering skills are incredible, just like your Mother's and Father's."

"They may have gone, but what they taught me never left. Shall we be off? I'm eager to get back to the sea."

"Lets go then," Vyse said as he boarded the ship.

At Esparanza, Vigoro had been alone at the Tavern until Baltor and his men had come and taken over the place. "When we get another chance, we're going to take down that King of the Blue Rouges!" Baltor's men cheered out in agreement as they drank.

"That's not going to be easy," Vigoro said, taking another drink, "He and his friends are powerful. You've gone up against him multiple times and lost, as have I."

"So What!?" Baltor shouted, "He got lucky last time because of his freaky rubber friend, that three styled swordsman, and that black suited kicking guy."

"Kicking guy? You mean Sanji. I ran into those guys as well. Vyse has teamed up with another group of pirates from that Grand Line."

"The Grand Line?" A mysterious man asked. He was large and well built. Wore a Dark Cloak, and a Gold Medallion around his neck with 8 Moon Crystals, From the 6 Moons and a Black and a White one. On his back was a Huge Sword so massive Vigoro would have had trouble lifting it.

"You haven't heard?" Vigoro asked, "The Royals of the World have been spreading the word of another world we were once a part of."

"Ah. I haven't kept up with the news lately. Thank you." The man dropped a bag of gold on the counter, "This should be more then enough to keep these gentlemen drinking for a while." The man got up to leave.

"Thank you for the Favor," Baltor said, "But may I ask why?"

"Information is a valuable thing. It's what I treasure most." He got to the door before he said anything else, "Vyse is at Crescent Isle now, in case you wanted to try anything." The man left before another word could be said.


	33. Chapter 34

(Sec 60) * * * * *

After a few moments of silence, the Two captains looked at each other.

"You want to defeat Vyse?" Baltor asked.

"Yup," Vigoro answered, "you?"

"Of course!"

"I suggest a team up then. As I said earlier, he's respectively beaten us fair and square."

"Aye, And losing to him has gotten old. I believe you still have your ship that you had when you were in the Valuan Armada?"

"The Draco? Hell yeah. What condition is your ship in?"

"My men just finished her repairs not long ago, and also gave her an upgrade or two. I think we should leave now."

"Agreed," Vigoro said as he finished his beer, "I want to finally proof to Vyse that he can lose."

"So do I," Baltor said as he finished his beer as well, "Black Pirates! Head Out!"

"Let's go ladies!" Vigoro called out to his crew made entirely made of females.

The two Black Pirate Crews made their way to Crescent Isle.

At the Ruins of Ice, The man from Esparanza appeared at the grave of Rhaknam, The Purple Gigas. "This was once a great hall to discus magic and science. Now it lays empty." He looked over to the hole that Rhaknam left when he crashed in over a year ago. Rhaknam was gone, so now there was nothing blocking the hole. The man held up his hands and the Blue Crystal on his pendant lit up. Water burst from his hands, creating a water fall over the hole. The Purple Crystal lit up, and the water froze into place. "I know you're here, old friend."

"Same old Arcane," Jones said as he came into the room, "Always knows when someone's near."

"You know more then anyone else that my magic is capable of almost anything."

"Yes, that's true," Jones stood next to Arcane, "Copy Copy, Ice Ice!" Jones turned into an Ice Statue version of himself and ran at the new wall, chiseling it at certain areas, then reappeared next to Arcane, "There, it's as if nothing happened here."

Looking at their handy work, the new Ice Wall had the same markings as it did many years ago. Arcane broke the silence after a while, "Jones, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why bring the two worlds back together, when you could have done so centuries ago."

Jones smiled, "That again? I have my reasons, as did my brothers."

"Then why won't you tell me said reasons?"

"Because," Jones took a couple steps back, "That's valuable information that's on a need to know basis. If you want to know it, you'll have to fight me."

"Not here. This is a great hall of knowledge."

"Knowledge that can easily be repaired when we're done."

"Fine. What are the rules of this battle?" Arcane asked, drawing his blade.

"Rules?"

"We're both Immortal, you have the Power of every 'Devil Fruit', so you can't Die period, and my immense magical power prevents me from being killed. So what are the terms for our battle?"

Jones thought for a moment, then grabbed Arcane's hand, "One, Two, Three, Four! I declare a Thumb War!"

"...You can't be serious."

"Okay, what would YOU suggest?"

Arcane stood there for a moment deep in thought. "Oh, here's a thought."

"What?"

"Ram ShamBO!" Arcane struck Jones in the crotch with such strength and speed, he had no time to react.

Jones doubled over and started speaking in a higher tone, "No Fair!"

As the Albatross Jr. left Base, Vyse let Vail have the helm. "Are you alright leaving the Little Jack behind?"

"I'll be fine, boy," Drachma said, continuing to stare out the window, "I need to stop dwelling on the past so much."

"Captain!" Domingo shouted, "The Draco is dead ahead!"

Vyse turned to look out front. "Vigoro again? We don't have time for this!"

"Well, Vyse," Vigoro said through the radio, "Looks like you no longer have that Valuan Battle ship of yours. This looks like it'll be easy to take you down this time."

Vyse picked up the mic, "Don't count on it. This ship is well built and well manned. Bring it on!"

"Okay, you asked for it. Ready the Draco Cannon!"

Vail steered The Albatross Jr so they had several more cannons to fire.

"Not this time! Black Beard Torpedos! FIRE!"

The Albatross Jr shook violently when they were hit from underneath. "What was THAT!?" Vyse shouted as the ship became steady again.

Confala jumped off the ship and flew below to see what hit them before reporting back to the bridge. "Baltor is here, too!"

"Great, We've been Double Teamed!" Aika stated, "how are we supposed to deal with that!?"

"Vyse," Vail started, "Take the wheel, I have an Idea."

"He's the Cpatain, He gives the orders," Drachma said.

"What is it?" Vyse asked.

"I can get to the Little Jack and bring him around."

"From here!?"

"Lets just say these mechanical parts have lots of surprises."

"Okay, Hurry up," Vyse said as he took the helm.

Vail got on deck. Base wasn't too far off. He aimed his left arm at the Meeting Room Balcony and fired his fist. 'Alright,' he thought to himself, 'Here I go.' He jumped off the ship and used his right hand to hit his left knee, activating a Jet Booster in his foot. His left arm was reeling in his left hand, allowing him to pull himself towards the island. He landed on the ground in the middle of the town, and dashed for the Little Jack that was docked on the side. "This ought to even the odds!" Vail brought the Little Jack up and headed for the Draco. "Harpoon Cannon, FIRE!" The large harpoon pierced the Draco Cannon as it was about to fire.

"You Brats!" Vigoro shouted, "That takes a LOT of money to repair! You're going to pay for that! Ready the other Cannons!"

"When are you going to get up?" Arcane asked.

"Soon," Jones replied.

"You've been laying there for twenty minutes. I couldn't of hit THAT hard."

"I want a Rematch. I wasn't ready."

"Fine, you can go first."

Jones jumped up and threw a kick. CRUNCH! "YE~OUCH! What the hell!? You wearing a cup!?"

"Of course not," Arcane said with a smile, "Magic Shield. Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be."

"Where? You're not one with plans."

"True, but I need to get to the Winner's Circle." Arcane threw another kick.

Jones doubled over again. "I...ha~te....you!"

Syreren, and Confala flew off with Sakurai and Piastol onto the Black Beard. Vail and set Jack to hover while he ran across the thick Harpoon Cable to the Draco. Battles of such epic proportions took place that were so awesome, that there are no words to describe it well enough. It came down to Vigoro and Vail on one ship, while Piastol and Baltor were on the other.

"Kid," Vigoro said as he looked at Vail, "You look real familiar."

"No small talk. I just want to kick your ass and get back to our voyage."

"Such Language. You'll never get any ladies that way."

Vail's eye changed to that of a berserker as his robotic one turned bright red. He yelled out as he charged. Vigoro dodged Vail's tackle and smacked his back with the Spiked Cannon Club.

"I guess I hit a nerve. Lady problems?"

Vail didn't even seemed phased by the attack and turned around, firing his fist again. Vigoro just batted it away, sending it through a wall. He brought the club down again, breaking the chain that connected the arm and hand. Vail switched from what would have been his hand to a Large Hammer.

"Heh, you're not gonna get anywhere with that anger attitu-HUGH!"

Baltor and Piastol had been dodging each other's attacks. Neither had wounded the other.

"Deluge!" Piastol threw several silver knives at Baltor, going right through the wall behind him.

"Stop blowing holes in my Ship!"

"I will if you surrender."

"NEVER!" Baltor fired a couple more Hand Cannon Balls at her, but she dodged, allowing them to hit the mast. She took her scythe and sliced what was left.

"Timber!" The mast fell on Baltor's legs as he tried to get away. "Do you surrender now?"

"Sorry," said several of Baltor's men as they got up, guns loaded and aimed at her, "but you haven't beaten us all."

Piastol turned around, "Watch out!" she yelled as she ducked.

The men turned around to see Vigoro land on top of them. Piastol ran over to her fallen allies and used Riselem. As the three of them got up, Vail had fixed his hand and was now flying down towards the Black Beard.

"Guys," Confala started, "I think he's mad."

"I think we should get back to our ship," Syreren stated as she started to take off. Paistol jumped onto Confala's back while Sakurai used her fire magic to rocket out of there.

The four of them landed on deck. Vyse came rushing out, "What's the status report?"

"Well," Piastol started, "I believe the Draco is out of commission, and the crew knocked out because of Vail."

"And Baltor?"

"I think Vail's gone berserk on us," Sakurai said.

"I'll take care of it," Drachma said, "The ship's right below us, right?"

"Drachma!? Are you crazy?" Vyse said, "You can't jump on their from this height!"

Drachma put his metal arm on the railing, "Watch me." He jumped off. He saw a second mast he could grab onto and slow his fall. When he got on deck, he saw Vigoro flying at him, so Drachma did the only thing he could think of. He punched him strait down so he'd hit the deck.

"PLEASE!" Vigoro shouted, "I give! I Surrender! PLEASE! Just stop!"

Drachma looked up to see Vail walking over slowly. His back was hunched over, his arms ready to punch anyone that got in his way. His breathing was heavy, his eyes still berserk and red.

"Vail, that's enough."

"No. He must pay. they must All Pay!"

"Vail, it's over. We won."

"It's not about winning!" Vail didn't sound like himself. It's as if it was another person, "They will all pay for what they've done." Vail folded and raised his hands above his head, ready to strike Vigoro again.

"VAIL! What would Elaine think if she saw you like this?"

Vail froze. Elaine loved him for being the calm and kind man he was. This senseless beating he was giving to Vigoro would have upset her, even if he attacked first, she wouldn't have like to see the fight go this far. He put his arms down. "You're right, Drachma. We won. Let's go."

The Albatross Jr. was setting down by Baltor's ship. "Is everything alright?" Vyse asked.

Vail was silent for a moment. "Yeah, it's alright now. Permission to take the ship, Captain?"

"Permission granted."

"Come now, Jones," Arcane started, "I know you can stand up."

"But the ice floor feels so nice." Jones rested for a few moments before his eyes shot wide opened and he stood up, "I feel like I just missed something."

"Jones, we're over 3,000 years old. Of Course we missed out on a lot of things. Now I beat you fair and square, twice. Are you going to tell me your reasons now?"

"Only if you come with me."

"What?"

"I'm starting up a small crew. I'd like your magic to be in it."

"Who else is on the team?"

"Remember Shane?"

"Of course. I always had fun tripping him when he started to interrupt my studies. Anyone else?"

"Not yet, but only because this is a spur of the moment kind of thing."

"Fine, you win. I'll join. The Grand Line is sure to be very interesting after 3,000 years have gone by."

"Yup, especially since only the last 900 have been recorded."

"WHAT!?!?"

"There was an incident about 900 years ago. All 3,000 years have been recorded, but the World Government is keeping it all a secret. It's a really long story I'd like to tell later."

"I'm not going anywhere until I've heard more about this. We have the time. We are immortal, after all."

"I'd like to check on one thing first..."

"Okay, Vyse," Aika said, "Everyone is here and accounted for. Our ship has taken heavy damage, so we should head back and make repairs right away."

"And the Little Jack?"

"It's in fine condition," Vail said, "They never got a shot off on me."

"Very good. Let's head back. We'll make repairs tonight and sail first thing in the morning."

Drachma had gone back to the Little Jack and was at base waiting for everyone else. As the Albatross Jr. headed back...

"Black Moon Cannon, FIRE!"

"What the!?" Vyse shouted.

"Nice try, Vyse!" Baltor said on the Radio, "But we have some upgrades we wanted to test out. Thanks to some spies, we got the blue prints for that Moon Stone Cannon you had. You are going down TODAY!"

"I'm sorry, but if you're going to mess with my friends, you're going to deal with The Claudia! Fire All Cannons!"

"Sure thing, sweetie!"

The two ships started firing at the Black Beard from behind.

"NO! Not again! I can't lose again! Men, full retreat! We can't take this!"

Later, on Crescent Isle, The Underground Dock...

"Gilder! Clara!" Vyse said over the Radio, "Nice to see you both!"

"I overheard your battle earlier," Gilder explained, "Thought we'd drop by to help out if needed."

"And I was chasing Gilder, so I was able to come as well," Clara said with a smile.

Jones and Arcane appeared from a random door to the docks. "HOLY! What happened!?" Jones shouted, looking at the wreckage of the ship before him.

"There was a battle, obviously," Arcane said.

"OBVIOUSLY!? It looks like it went through a hurricane when manned by one person!"

"The odds of that surviving is-"

"I don't care!" Jones slapped his hand onto his face, "Vyse, what happ-...you know what? I don't want to know. I'll come back later when things have cooled off." Jones and Arcane left through another random door.

Everyone just stood there for a few moments before another word was said. Gilder broke the silence, "Who was that?"

Vyse sighed, "It's a long story..."


	34. Chapter 35

(Sec 61) * * * * *

"Wow, you may have been gone about a week, but that's still an amazing adventure you've had," Gilder said after Vyse explained what had been going on.

"Yeah, the Grand Line is a crazy place, I can't wait to go back," Vyse started yawning, "It's getting Late. I'm going to pack in. I'll see you two around?"

"Of course you will!" Clara exclaimed as she hugged Gilder's arm even tighter.

"Stop that, my arm is already numb, soon you'll break it off."

"Sorry, my love," Clara said with a smile. Gilder just sighed.

Vyse laid in bed that night, thinking about what Jones had said earlier.

"Your crew may be strong, but there are only a few of you that can endure the hardships of the Grand Line. Furthermore, By leaving most of your crew here in the Skies, If Galcain and his new friends come along, your crew has had the pleasure of taking him down once and know what to do. They know his tactics, and thanks to the stories from the Straw Hats, they know the others as well."

'He raises a good point,' Vyse thought, 'But which people would I take with me? Aika and Fina would definitely come, so that makes three.'

'Drachma would have to go, too,' a voice in Vyse's head said, 'Little Jack lives.'

'and Drachma only goes where Vail goes, so that would make five.'

'Piastol's father was killed by Rameriez, I'm sure her Father's death still bugs her.'

'That would make six,' Vyse thought some more before he opened his eyes, "wait a second..." Vyse took his hand and smacked the side of his head a couple of times. A miniature Jones fell to the ground from his ear, "I should have known."

"Don't look at me," Jones said as he went back to his normal size, "I'm just helping you out. It's quite annoying on how you keep catching me, I'm supposed to be a great ninja."

"You don't act like it," Vyse said with a glare, getting annoyed by Jones tricks by now, "alright, since you gave me a start already, who are the last three I should take with me?"

"You really only need to choose one other, the other two will come on their own. Gilder."

"I'm guessing Clara is the second one then," Vyse said with a chuckle.

"That is correct. The last one will become known to you before you leave for the Grand Line. You should get some rest now, tomorrow will be another eventful day," Jones gave off a smile and disappeared through a wall.

The next day, Vyse had everyone gather around the town square so he could let them know his new plan of action.

"With Galcain still alive, we all can't go to the Grand Line. A few of us should go, while the rest stay here and keep an eye out in case he comes to Arcadia. A Majority of you have had the pleasure of taking down Galcain once and know his battle tactics and strategies. Are there any objections?"

"You're the captain," Khazim said, "and you've always made the smart decision in times of hardships." everyone else agreed.

"So Vyse," Aika asked, "how many are going?"

"Including me? Eight. You and Fina are obviously my first 2. Drachma? Vail? You want to come?"

"Their's a better chance of seeing Galcain on the Grand Line," Vail said, "He will pay for what he did to my family."

"Where he goes, I go," Drachma said a second time.

"Piastol?" Vyse asked.

"I don't know, Vyse," she said, "I want to go, but I've finally found my sister. We're the only Family we have left."

"I understand," Vyse turned to Guilder, "This is a big adventure, you want in?"

"Of course I do," Gilder said with a smile, which quickly faded as Clara grabbed his arm again.

"Then I'm coming, too!" She said as happily as she could.

"I would wish to join as well."

Vyse turned around to see The Valuan Emperor, "Enrique? But what about Valua?"

"Moegi is more then capable of running the country herself. Galcain was once the Commander of the Valuan Armada. Knowing he has returned, I must deal with it personally, and as Vail said, we have a better chance of seeing him on the Grand Line."

"The Albatross Jr still needs repairs," Fina stated.

"The Little Jack isn't big enough even for this small crew," Drachma said.

"I can fix that," Jones said, appearing out of nowhere again.

"I'm not letting you touch my ship," Drachma said, "I've seen how crazy you get."

"Fine," Jones said, "I won't lay a finger on your ship." Jones raised his hand and the Little Jack was lowered above him, "I already made the modifications anyway," he said with a smirk.

Drachma looked at it, "It looks exactly the same."

"That's the beautiful part," Jones said, "I knew of a way to make the inside bigger then the outside, so now everyone has enough room to sleep."

"I don't approve of this," Drachma said, "but it's already been done. Try something like that again and you'll be in a world of hurt."

"Oh~ no~," Jones said, "What ever will I do if I anger the mighty Captain Drachma? DERA-Shi-Shi-Shi-Shi!" Jones laughed as he vanished.

Piastol was in her room, laying on her bed, thinking of what to do when she heard a voice.

'You should go. It's an adventure you'll never forget.'

"I don't care about adventure."

'you'll have a shot at Rameriez, the man who destroyed your ship and killed your Father.'

"I don't want revenge."

'What do you want?'

"To protect my new family."

'Do you know what's going to happen if Galcain takes over the world again? Everyone will suffer, including Doc and Maria. Do you want that?'

"NO! But I don't want to leave them behind either."

'If you go, they will be fine. They will have protection.'

"How do I know you're not lying?"

'You don't, but the choice is yours. Stay here as Doc's assistant, or pick up your weapon once again and lend Vyse the strength from the Angel of Death.'

Piastol's closet opened and out came her Scythe and Angel of Death Uniform, "I...I don't know."

There was a knock at the door, "Sister? Are you alright?" The door opened, and the Uniform and Scythe went back into the closet. "I heard you yelling."

"I'm fine Maria. I'm just having a hard time making a decision."

Maria walked over to Piastol and looked at her for a moment. Then she gave her a hug, "It's okay, big sister, you can go with Vyse on his adventure."

"But what about you and Uncle Doc?"

"We'll be fine," Maria said with a smile, "We'll be here on the island among friends."

"Are you sure it's alright?"

"Positive. I'll even give you this," Maria reached into her dress pocket and pulled out her Golden Ribbon.

"Aww, but you love playing with this."

"I have more friends to play with now, it will do you more good if you run into those mean men."

Piastol smiled, "Thank you Maria," she knelt down and hugged her sister, "I'll be sure to come back with more bedtime stories for you."

"Yeah! Now hurry up and pack before Vyse leaves." Maria ran out of the room.

'Heh heh, another Job well done, Jones,' Piastol thought to herself.

'Damnit!' the voice said again, 'Can't a guy get a break and just have people believe he's a ninja?'

"Alright," Vyse said, "Are we ready to go?"

"Almost. I've reconsidered," Piastol said as she dropped her bags on the deck.

"Well, it's nice to know we have the Angel of Death on our side," Fina said with a small chuckle.

"You ready to go to the Grand Line?" Jones said, appearing out of nowhere again.

"Yes we are," Vyse said, "all we need is a black hole."

Jones raised his hands, "Enjoy your journey, it will be most eventful."

The Little Jack sailed into the vortex, vanishing from the sky.


	35. Chapter 36

(Sec 62) * * * * *

Nami stretched out in the lounge chair she was laying in. "This is Awesome!"

Robin giggled, "Indeed, who would have thought that after leaving the foggy Florang Triangle that'd there be such a nice resort."

Jones: HOLD UP!

Narrator: What are you doing?

Jones: Taking over the story, the fans don't want to read about the Straw Hats relaxing!

Narrator: But that's what's happening, and according to the script, Vyse and his crew will be arriving shortly.

Jones: I know how the story goes.

Arcane: I don't. Please continue.

Narrator: Then Silver Fox Foxy shows up, they'll kick his butt, save a couple of little girls he was after, the older one gets captured-

Arcane: Why is that?

Narrator: Oh, their dad was working on a way to make Jewels. Anyway, the older girl was captured by the Resort Manager and in order to get the her back, the Straw Hats and Blue Rouges have to find the treasure for him, but instead start trashing the island, forcing him to use what everyone thought was a chimney but turned out it was actually a giant cannon. The two crews bust the cannon, save the girl, and Luffy does Gear Third and performs a Giant Axe to bring the whole thing down.

Jones: You forgot the part where I came in and ate that Cannon.

Arcane:...and?

Narrator: Well, the island was actually built on the "X" the girls' father was looking for, and made a strange rainbow in the sky, which was made of the same colors of their father's chemicals he had been making. They mixed the chemicals together by order of the center ring of the rainbow to the outermost ring, and made the rainbow pearl.

Jones: Okay, you know the story, can we move on now?

Narrator: You may know the story, but what about the readers.

Jones: They've been reading us the whole time, so they know what's going on, so we can focus elsewhere.

Narrator: Where else is there something interesting going on!?

Jones: You could watch what I'm doing next.

Narrator: But you're right here!

Jones: Am I? *Points to a random screen*

At the Sabaody Archipelago, Shane was wandering around, drinking his Orange Soda when something dawned on him. "Wait a second, I don't drink Alcohol at all! How would I get drunk?" remembering the conversation he ha with Jones a couple days ago.

"I spiked your drink," Jones said, appearing with Arcane out of nowhere.

"Of course you did," Shane said with a glare before noticing Arcane, "Oh hey, if it isn't our Magic User Friend. How have you been?"

"Fine, of course being an Immortal with the best magic throughout all of time, it's hard not to be fine," Arcane said with a smile. "So, Jones, what have you brought us here for?"

"Lets see, we have the Captain, me, our doctor, you, and our Navigator, Shane. Now we just need our swordsman and sniper."

"As I recall," Shane started, "our swordsman left a long while ago to live in the wild."

"That he did, but we're here for the sniper, and if I know him, he'll be..."

Shane sat down on a bubble, "...he'll be...where?..."

Jones stood there for a few moments.

"You don't remember what he likes to do, do you Jones?" Arcane finally inputted.

"...No, no I don't," Jones said with a smile on his face.

"You're lucky I remember. He was a laid back, pervert who liked to have a little too much fun."

Shane and Jones stared at him for a second.

"Sigh, he'd be at the amusement park."

"Sounds fun," Shane said hopping off his bubble.

"Ah, right, I remember now," Jones said after about a half hour of traveling around the park, "he always liked the booth games more then the rides."

"Hey, what about checking that crowd of people," Shane said, pointing to one of the crowded booths.

As the three of them got closer, they could hear the gunfire and the 'dings' from hitting the targets.

"Is that...'Black Stripe', the sharpshooter?"

"Nah, couldn't be."

"That was a pirate that lived centuries ago."

"Yeah, just cause he's a good shot and wears the Horizontial Stripe pattern shirt doesn't mean it's him."

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Congratulations sir," the beautiful woman running the booth said, "you shot every target, choose any prize you want."

Jones and crew had made it through the crowd as the man made his decision. The man's eyes were darting around as he mummbled what seemed like calculations to himself. "I have made my decision," he threw out his arm and another gunshot was fired and hit the buckle that was holding the tarp down, letting it up with a strong gust of wind, allowing the woman's skirt to fly up. "That's prize enough for me, thank you, mam'," tipping his hat before the woman retaliated by punching him to the ground as he laughed.

After the crowd dispersed, Jones decided to say hello to his old friend. "Still the same ol' Adrian."

"Davy Jones! You sea devil, what are you doing here?" Adrian said with a laugh as he got up and brushed himself off.

"I've been working on getting the crew back together, I came here looking for you."

"I see you got Mr. Knowledge with you, but who's the little guy?"

"I'm Shane, your navigator, and I'm not little," he said with a small growl.

"Down boy," Jones said.

"Okay, so where are the other two?"

"I haven't heard from the Dark Lord yet, but we'll see him soon enough."

"I thought we only needed a swordsman, you said nothing about the Dark Lord," Arcane inputted.

"Oh come on, we have to have him if we're getting his brother."

"So where is Mr. Knight?" Adrian asked.

"On another island a bit farther back from here. We'll start sailing tomorrow morning."

"Can't we just teleport using you're many Devil Fruit Abilities?" Arcane asked.

"I'm getting bored of doing that, I want to sail again. Now why don't the rest of you head back and grab a drink, I have a little business to attend to."

"Always so busy, captain?" Adrian asked, "Stay and party!"

"I'll catch up. Be back in a couple minutes," and with that, vanished again.

"Yeah, we'll just party, the three of us," Shane said as he slapped Adrian on the shoulder. Another shot went off as some blood splattered from Adrain's right hand.

"GAAAAAAHHHHH!" Adrian shouted as he grabbed his hand with the other, "Didn't they tell you I keep my guns on my shoulders!?"

"OhMyGosh! Are you alright!?"

"Gee, there's a hole in my hand from a FUCKING GUN SHOT! NO I'm not alright!"

"I'm SO sorry!"

"Oh be nice to him, Adrian," Arcane said, "No need to be a jerk about this."

"He shot my Damn Hand! I shoot with that you know!"

"Quit the act."

"What act!? I can't exactly fake all this on the spot!"

"Yes you can. Now cut the act."

"...I forgot how much of a spoil sport you are," Adrian said as he cleaned his hand from the 'bullet wound' he had just received.

"You mean," Shane said after a few moments, "I didn't actually hurt him?"

"No," Arcane said, "he's a very good trick shot, he's pulled that move a couple of times to make women feel guilty and go out with him."

"I'd say more then a few," Adrian said with a smirk. "Women will do anything to make the pain go away if they caused it," he drifted off, "~anything~"

"Shall we go to the nearest tavern, then?" Shane asked.

The next morning, the three of them went looking for Jones at the docks.

"About time you showed up," Jones said as he took a swig of beer from his mug.

"We were waiting for you," Arcane said.

"I told you to come to the docks, didn't I?"

"No," the three of them said at once.

"Oh...silly, me, must have imagined that. Anyway, I present to you the Sea Devil!" Jones waved his arm and a ship made from dark red wood appeared, it's sails and flags bearing a red skull and crossbones with three circles on it's forehead, four swords sticking out of it, each one bearing a circle of a different color, and one more circle above the skull in between two swords.

"Wow," Shane said after admiring the ship for a few moments.

"Red," Adrian said, "just the color I want to paint the town when I meet a beautiful woman."

"Interesting flag design," Arcane said, "you think anybody will understand its meaning?"

"Bah, they don't need to," Jones said, "now we need to head off to Straw Hat Isle."

"Straw Hat Isle?" Adrian questioned, "I haven't seen an island by that name."

"It's been under the water for the last 1000 years, sealing a Guardian God away from the world. Lets set sail, and I'll tell you more about it."

Jones told his crew of what the Straw Hats had done at the island recently.

"So," Arcane said once Jones finished his story, "what does this have to do with our swordsman friend?"

"You remember what happened when he left the crew that long while back? Well he went to live by himself on a deserted island and live off the land. The island had an active volcano and erupted, and he didn't get off in time, and was consumed by the lava. Just over 1000 years ago, people came and built on the island and in celebration of finding a new home, created the Guardian God Statue out of the Hardened Lava. Our friend is in the center of that statue, unable to free himself."

"Dear Lord!" Arcane said, "Why didn't we go and free him sooner!?"

"He stuck a sword into my chest, that could have killed me!"

"He knew you had eaten the Shape Shift fruit that it wouldn't kill you. He's not the kind of guy to kill a friend out of anger!"

"Excuse me," Shane interrupted, "but I didn't get the chance to meet this man, what happened?"

"Oh," Jones said, "I beat him in a armwrestling match."

"And he stuck a sword in your chest for that?"

"You would to if he broke your arm," Adrian stated, "He and Jones were the best of friends, but hanging out for a few centuries together and people get on your nerves, that's why none of us are married."

"Dera-shi-shi-shi-shi. No matter, I've forgiven him, and we're off to go get him back."


	36. Chapter 37

(Sec 63) * * * * *

At the shoreline of Straw Hat Island, the crew could only stare at how the island was shaped.

"Hard to believe an island is naturally formed like this," Shane said after a while.

"Weren't you listening to me earlier?" Jones asked, "the island formed like this when the Straw Hats defeated the Guardian God."

"I find it hard to believe a God could fall that easily, that and the fact that if he's been defeated, how is our knight still stuck in there?"

"There were two blue crystal balls, one was broken when the Straw Hats had finished here, the second keeps the Guardian God alive."

"So, where do we find him?" Adrian asked as he filled up the inside of his coat with more ammunition.

"He rests in the caves, so we're going to have to dig since all the entrances have been sealed. Or I could just teleport us," and with that the four of them were inside the island's underground caves. "Here's the plan, you three keep his armies distracted while I take care of him."

"Oh sure," Shane said, "Take the Fun job."

As they walked through the cave, hundreds of the Guardian God's soldiers blocked their path. "Intruders detected!"

"Good luck, crew," Jones said as he went through an Air Door to continue his path towards the main course.

Arcane took out his blade and the Red Crystal on his pendant lit up, his sword bursting into flames shortly afterwards. Shane stretched his arms and legs a little bit, ready for a good long scrap. Adrian threw his arms downwards, allowing his two six shot revolvers to roll down his sleeves into his hands. "Shall we spread out?" Adrian asked, "I don't want to accidentally shoot either of you."

"Agreed," Arcane said, "that would be most unfortunate."

The three of them ran back through the caves and split up at a couple of forks in the road, the Guardian Soldiers close behind.

Adrian found a circular path that was only big enough to let the soldiers through one at a time. "Huh," Adrian said when he got himself positioned, "it's been a while since I've had to curve shots."

"Intruder Detected!" the soldiers chanted as they came through single filed.

Adrian switched the bullets out of his revolver from the normal ones he used to a three stage bullet, "perfect for armor piercings." He flung his arms out and fired a shot from each hand, each bullet curving perfectly enough that each soldier they went through made a nice clean hole in the dead center of the forehead. The soldiers that were in the hall fell and poofed away in black and purple smoke, making room for the next round. "It's gonna be a fun day."

Arcane reached a dead end. "Perfect," he said with a smile as he turned around and saw a bunch of enemies come towards him. He jumped into the air and threw his sword into the center of the mob, "PYRULEN!" There was a massive explosion, throwing a majority of the soldiers against the surrounding walls. Arcane landed next to his sword and picked it up as his enemies came around him. "I have you right where I want you," he said as his pendant lit up the Green and Blue Crystals, "surrounded from the inside!" He used his wind powers to start spinning at high speeds as he held out his blade, now covered in acid, slicing at anyone who got too close. The soldier's armor was normally un-cutable, but these weren't exactly normal circumstances. Every cut the sword made also left some acid behind, dissolving the armor even further. After quickly taking out thirty soldiers that way, the Green and Blue Crystals faded and the Yellow Crystal lit up, his sword now having lightning capabilities.

"Intruder must be destroyed!" the soldiers chanted as they kept attacking, but everything they threw at Arcane was blocked by his electric blade.

"Lets add a little bit of Chaos, shall we?" Arcane asked as he his Pendant lit up the Black Crystal. The soldiers within a twenty foot radius that were alive noticed their armor turned from either blue or orange to black. Those soldiers turned around and started attacking their brothers. The Purple Crystal on his Pendant lit up, and he shot icicles from his hand and created a circular perimeter around him, "PANIKA!" All the soldiers within the perimeter were hit with a by a snow flurry, scrambling their minds and making them confused. The Blue Crystal lit up again and Arcane took to the skies and he watched his handy work as the almost all the soldiers fought against each other.

Shane found a room with a large tree in the middle, and multiple exits. He quickly hid in the tree and waited for the soldiers to catch up.

"Intruder Detected!" they all said as they came in and stopped and looked at the several exits the enemy could have escaped through.

Shane reached into his pocket and pulled out a small CD player with speakers. 'Okay,' Shane thought, 'Jones gave this to me saying it would help with the Music Fighting Style. Let see what song he has in here...,' Shane opened it up and read the word written on the CD, 'Bob's Ukulele Karaoke: Lance the Turtle...JONES! You are SO dead after this!'

"Intruder Detected!" one of the soldiers said as he slammed into the tree.

'This will have to do,' Shane thought as he hit play and jumped out of the tree.

-*Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance. Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance.

Well, I keep a little turtle, At my Uncle and my Aunts. My Auntie's name is Myrtle, And my Island Turtle's name is Lance. He doesn't wander far, Even if he has a chance. He just plays his Ukulele, and he does the hula dance.

Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance. Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance.

He threw a Luau bar-b-que, One breezy summer night. Invited all his turtle pals, To come and have a wiki bite. The turtle started walking there, As Lance began to swing. The one that lived across the street, Arrived there in the SPRING!

Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance. Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance.

But Lance just kept on cooking, He was grilling full of glee. He was marinating ribs, Cause he liked...*shrip*...syrup with his feta cheese?

(hey, the lyrics were just shredded by the fan, what do we do?) Lance's purple turtle shell, Has ketchup if you please. Pineapples are shiny. Spotted tiki bumblebees!

(Oh, man!)

Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance.

(Guys, I can't work with this, it doesn't make any sense!)

Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. (It works for us! Ha Ha!) Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance.

There are luscious chocolate fingers, Spinning slowly in the school. Mele Kalikimaka. Fluffy bunnies driving in the pool! A thousand igloos wax the beach,

Spray Luggage in the tree!? Raining puppies, Flying clowns, Flossing punahele...(Oh forget it!)

Lapoka sneezes coconuts, Tahiti yo-yo leg! Wahine with spaghetti sauce, Don't make the fuzzy parrot beg! Paper, Plastic, Porcupine, The horsie makes his bed! The Humu Humu Nuku Nuku, Apua'a wasn't fed!

Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance. Lance the Turtle, Aloha Lance. Lance the Turtle, dance, dance, dance!*-

Shane finished off the last soldier before he retrieved his new toy. "Okay, it was a nice tune, and it was funny...he still dies!"

Jones opened up another Air Door and was in the room where the Guardian God rested.

"I am the Guardian God! All intruder's must be eliminated!"

"Alex, don't you remember? It's me, Davy Jones."

"Elimination!" he shouted as he threw a few punches, Jones dodging them.

"Copy Copy, Chop Chop, Spring Spring, Light Light!" Jones crouched his legs turning into springs while his torso lifted from his lower half, "Don't make me do this...on second thought, make me do it. I've wanted to mix powers for a while."

"Die!" He said as he made a Purple Blast from his hands.

"Perfect," Jones said as the upper half of his body made a cyclone of fury around the room while his legs started bouncing off the walls. "Come on, Iron Heart, it isn't like you to act this way. Chop Chop FESTIVAL!" Jones' body started smacking the Guardian God from all sides, too fast to let him retaliate. He pulled himself back together, leaving his legs to continue jumping from wall to wall. Jones rushed over and put a red 'X' on the Chest of his enemy. "Remind you of anything?" Jones reattached himself to his legs and made a sword out of Light, "SPRING HOPPER!" He jumped off another wall and aimed right for the 'X'. Jones jumped away, making the sword disappear.

"Elimination!" The Guardian God said as he started pounding the ground, sending shock waves to knock Jones off balance.

"Copy Copy, Ice Ice, Sand Sand, Bomb Bomb," Jones placed his hand on the ground, "ICE AGE!" The Guardian God's arms and legs were frozen. Jones dissolved himself into sand, placing himself inside the armor from the hole he had made earlier. Jones was a little cramped inside the armor, so he tried to remodel it just a little bit. "Self Destruct!"

The Guardian God exploded, his hollow armored shell was now broken into a million pieces. The Blue Crystal Ball rolled over to Jones' feet. He picked it up and looked at all the pieces. He turned into a sand storm and brought all the pieces of armor toward him.

"Wow," Shane said as he, Arcane and Adrian walked in, "how many pieces are there?"

Jones looked at them and crouched a little. "It's over Nine THOUSAND!" Jones shouted as he crushed the crystal in his hand.

"What, Nine Thousand!?"

The pile of pieces all burst into a cloud of black and purple smoke, and their laid their friend, wearing his trademark green medieval knights armor. He sat up, holding his head, "Jones? What happened?"

"Well, Alex Iron Heart, It's a long story..."


	37. Chapter 38

(Sec 64) * * * * *

At the Holy Land, Mariejoa...

"Master Bartholomew Kuma has returned!" yelled a marine soldier. Kuma, Vice Admiral Garp and Sengoku were having a meeting this day.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sengoku shouted at Kuma, whose wounds seemed to have healed since the last we saw him. "Are you telling me that they managed to escape from your powers!? I want a better explination then that! I'm the one who has to report to the higher-ups!"

Garp started laughing, "Just what I expected from my grandson!"

"Garp, be quiet!" Sengoku ordered as he turned back to Kuma, "I gave you special Government orders to eliminate the whole crew, yet you couldn't even bring back Straw Hat Luffy's head? This is a disgrace!"

Garp laughed again, "Don't worry about that, Sengoku! Luffy isn't the kind of guy who would go around bragging about defeating Moria anyway!"

"Hmph! Kuma, I hope you didn't take pity on those pirates just because they were injured. Because you've failed to take it seriously, this game of cat-and-mouse will have no end. If they continue following the Log, as they are now, they will draw ever closer to the Navy HQ."

"Do not forget," Kuma said, "about the other crew. Vyse and his Blue Rouges. They were quite formidable. It was because of them I could do nothing."

"Oh yeah! By the way," Garp interupted, "I brought the new tea! Get out the crackers!"

"GARP! Will you be quiet!?" Sengoku demanded again.

Back on the Grandline, The Little Jack and the Thousand Sunny were sailing side by side. Drachma thought it would be a good idea to let the wind do the work instead of the moonstones.

"What exactly is going on?" Luffy asked Chopper, Usopp, Brook, Vyse and Vail as they sat on the edge of their ships fishing.

"This is no good..." Usopp said.

"Indeed..." Brook said

"I can't catch anything," Vyse stated.

"This is strange," Chopper said.

"We've hit a rough patch," Vail said.

"Ah, This is so boring!" Luffy shouted.

"Well, Let us be patient," Vyse reasoned.

"Aah, Nami!" Luffy said as he leaned back, "Are we gonna reach Fishman Island soon? Are we?"

"Oh, shut up! We are definitely getting closer!"

"Fishman..."Sanji said, "Mermaids!" he started daydreaming.

"Sanji, I'm tired of this!" Luffy said as he threw his fishing line in the air, "Food!"

Vyse looked over, "Huh, what's that?" he pointed over to a shadow in the water.

Usopp put on his goggles, "AWESOME! It's a school of fish!"

"See? Good things happen to those who wait. Yohohohoho!"

Vail started flipping through gizmos in his arm, "Ah, here we go, the fishnet."

"WOW!" Luffy said, "They're heading strait towards us!"

Aika walked over, "Can I try?"

Nami also walked over, "Something feels off here..."

"Gotchya!" Vail said as he fired his net just as the fish were swimming by.

Zoro looked up, "Those are..." everyone faced the front of the ship.

"Could it be?" Nami asked.

Usopp started panicking, "What's up with that overt 'This is bad, Captain'-Face!?"

Dark clouds circled overhead, waves started crashing together, eventually causing a whirlpool.

"Serpent Currents!" Nami shouted.

Vail released the fish and brought his net back in, heading for the helm of the Little Jack.

"Serpent...Currents?" Aika asked.

"Everyone, be careful!"

A water tentacle shot from the sea as the Little Jack took flight.

"It's almost like they're alive," Vyse stated.

"This is really bad, all right!" Franky said.

"Yohoho...well, well..."

"AWESOME~!" Luffy shouted.

"Sanji-kun!" Nami yelled.

"Leave it to me Nami-swan!" Sanji said as he took the wheel. A water tentacle headed strait for Sunny, "It won't move!" Sanji said as he struggled with steering.

Zoro jumped up and threw a couple of slashes, making the tentacle burst into rain.

Another came for Sunny. "Weapons...LEFT!"

A few went for Jack. "Alpha STORM!"

"Take That!" Drachma shouted as he shot his arm at one.

"Cutlass Fury!"

"Hey, What are you doing!?" Zoro shouted, "Steer the ship!"

"Shut up! With all these waves, it's impossible to navigate properly!"

"Gum Gum...PISTOL!"

Brook jumped up as another one came and sliced twice. The water tentacle froze in place for a moment until Brook's blade was re-sheathed. "I must say, I have heard of the term 'playful snakes' before...what perfect sense of naming! Yohohohoho!"

"Hey!" Usopp shouted, "Is this really the right time for you to be impressed!?"

"Gum Gum...GATLING GUN!" Luffy shouted as he took on three at once.

"Pirates of old...Defend our cause!" Vyse prayed as several more of them came to attack.

The Skull Captain appeared with several other floating skeletons, "ATTACK!"

Two went for Franky, "Star Shield!"

Brook and Zoro started a tag team effort blocking two sides of the deck. "We can't keep cutting them forever!" Zoro shouted.

Robin crossed her arms and sent an arm umbrella to stop another.

"Crystales!" Fina and Piastol shouted as several more came to attack the ship.

"How long is this storm going to continue!?" Usopp shouted.

"How far does it go!?" Chopper added.

Nami looked through a pair of binoculars.

"Should we try and escape with the Coup De Burst?" Franky suggested as he continued blocking with his star shields.

"Great idea!" Usopp shouted.

"It won't work," Nami stated, "I can't see an end to the currents. Even with the Coup De Burst...we wouldn't escape!"

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed, "Shall we sing a song?" Everone stared at him, since the barrage had momentarily stopped. "At times like this, you just have to remember that no matter how dangerous a storm current is, it will pass eventually."

"Searching for a way out of the storm..." Vyse said to himself, "yup, that's the best idea I've heard."

"Then let us sing our way through it!" Brook finished.

"Great Idea, brook! Let's do it!"

Brook was about to start playing when the Sunny started raising from the sea, nearly crashing into the Little Jack.

The water snake flung them forward, "We're Falling!" Franky shouted.

Chopper fell off. "I got this one!" Drachma said as he launched his arm, just barely catching Chopper before he hit the wtater.

"I thought I was gonna die." Chopper said as the Little Jack caught up with Sunny, putting Chopper back on board his own ship.

After a long battle with the water tentacles, Luffy got back of the head of the Sunny, "...I can see it! I can see it!"

"The light at the end of the storm!" Vyse shouted along.

"Not that! The Red Line!"

"The Red Line!?" Usopp shouted in disbelieve.

"We finally made it!" both crews shouted.

"There was a nasty storm on that day, too," Sanji said, refering to the day they entered the Grand Line, back when it was just five of them.

"It...has taken me fifty years..." Brook started, "Yohohoho"

"Let's Go, you guys!"

Then out of the water came the largest of the water tentacles, at least 50 times bigger.

"WO~W!" Luffy shouted in amazement.

"Make sure to steer properly," Zoro said as he got ready.

"I don't take orders from you!" Sanji stated.

"Think we can avoid it with the Paddle?" Franky asked.

"We wouldn't make it in time," Robin stated.

"Sanji, Ride that wave!" Nami ordered.

"You sure?" Drachma protested, "I've got a harpoon cannon ready to blast that."

"HEY! What do you mean, ride it?" Franky also protested.

"Leave it to me!" Nami stated, "When we went to Sky Island I experienced a much more amazing one!"

"Ah yes," Sanji recalled, "The Knock-Up Stream, right?"

"That sure was fun, huh?" Luffy said.

"It wasn't fun at all!" Chopper shouted.

"But of course!" Usopp shouted, "We'll make it this time, too!"

The large tentacle slammed down in front of Sunny, launching it up just high enough to land on it. The Little Jack landed behind it, also riding the wave.

"I'm sure the Coup De Burst will work now!" Franky said as he steered the ship.

"Pull in the sails!" Nami commanded.

"Full speed ahead!" Vyse shouted, "Prepare to sky rocket!"

Sunny flew off at the peak of the wave, "Let's do it! Coup De BURST!" The cannon of the back of Sunny fired, launching it farther then it normally would have.

Vyse and his crew stood in awe, "Damn...we need something like that."

"Did someone say 'Sing through the Storm?'" Jones said as he appeared wearing a yellow poncho and rain hat, "Oh, the Straw hats are quite far," he ran towards the back of Jack, "Coup...De..."

Vyse snapped out of his trance and turned around,"Jones!? NO!"

"BURST!" The Little Jack also took off, closing in on the Sunny. "Oh...we may crash now...BYE!" And he vanished again.

The Little Jack landed in the water and slowed to a stop right next to the Sunny.

"Man that was dangerous," Vail said.

"We're saved!" Chopper shouted.

"We're here..." Luffy chuckled, "We've finally made it this far!"

"I can't see the top!" Vyse shouted as he looked, "It's huge! So this is the Red Line?"

"It feels kind of nostalgic..." Nami said.

"I wonder if we've matured since then?" Zoro asked.

"I kinda feel like crying!" Usopp sobbed, "A lot of stuff has happened, huh?"

Luffy chuckled some more, "Anyways, now we're halfway there! The Twin Capes on the other side of the world, where we met Laboon, Is connected to this spot! It's great that we've all made it this far, huh?"

"I hope I won't be much of a burden to you all," Kaya said, "I'll do everything I can to help!"

"Apparently, I came over Reverse Mountain from South Blue when I was just a kid," Franky said, "but I guess that's a 30 year old story."

"I came to this sea from West Blue, five years ago," Robin stated.

"When we've crossed the other half of the world, and see this wall again..." Luffy trailed off, "At that time...I'll be the Pirate King!"

"But we've got to be careful now," Nami warned, "This place is close to the 'Holy Land' of the world Government and the Navy HQ, Mariejoa."

Franky changed the dial on the helm so 'Surprise Pool 4' would appear on the side of the Sunny, where Chopper, Usopp and Vyse swam.

Zoro went up to the crow's nest and started working out. As he worked, he remembered his moments against Kuma. He threw the large weight up into the air and stood on his hands, catching it with his feet. "I'm too weak," he said as he remembered more from that last battle. "I have to become stronger, I'm still far to weak!"

"How is it, Robin, Brook, Luffy?" Nami asked into the Den-den Muchi.

"No use," Robin answered, "It's completely black."

Luffy laughed, "It's totally black out there! Hey, I think I saw something there!"

"Yo H~O! Was that the eyeball of a monster!?"

"Monster?" Vyse said as he Chopper and Usopp got up from the pool.

"We're gonna DIE!" Brook shouted. Everyone waited for another response. "Although I am already dead, YOHOHOHOHO!" Everyone took a sigh of relieve, "Oh, Miss Nami-san, Aika-chan? I have a question...what panties are you wearing today?"

"Shut up and take this seriously!" Nami shouted into the Muchi.

"Scary..." Chopper said.

"Hey, you guys!" Franky said into the Muchi, "The Shark Submerge can't go any deeper the five thousand meters, so be careful!"

"Hmm?" Brook said, "The hull seems to be creaking."

"Yes," Robin said, "Because we're deeper then five thousand meters right now."

"Ah, but that means...That's Terrible! We're going to be Crushed by the water pressure!"

"OH! The monster from earlier! It's still here!" Luffy said as a giant Sea Rabbit came by.

"What a big mouth he has," Robin laughed as she steered away from the bite the beast was taking.

"Watch out!" Luffy laughed as it came after them.

"Here it comes again!" Brook shouted.

Luffy continued laughing.

"This sounds pretty bad..." Vyse said.

"I don't want to ride the Shark Submerge..." Chopper stated.

"Me neither," Usopp agreed.

The kitchen door opened up, "Nami-Swan! Fina-Chwan! The 'Horror-Nashi Tarte' from Thriller Bark is done!"

"Oh, It looks delicious!" Fina commented.

"YO~! Look behind us!"

"Here it comes! We're gonna be eaten!" Luffy laughed.

"This is a problem," Nami stated as she took a bite, "It tastes Great!"

"It's good!" all the men sang after there first bites.

"It's the same problem we had with Sky Island," Sanji said as he crossed his arms.

"That's right," Nami said as she looked at the log pose, pointing straight down. "We know the direction we have to take, but we have no idea how we're gonna get there."

"Sounds just like the Maw of Tartus to me," Enrique said.

"How are we going to reach Fishman Island?" Aika asked.

The Shark Submerge resurfaced. "We're back!" Luffy shouted.

"That was fun!" Brook said.

"Welcome back! Good work!" Nami complimented.

"It's no use!" Luffy said, "We can't see anything of the bottom of the sea at all. Is Fishman Island really there?"

"Yohohoho! That was my first time riding a submarine."

"If we had gone further down, the pressure would have killed us." Robin stated.

"The Log Pose is certainly pointing down, but..." Nami said, "This is no good. I should have gotten some more info from Lola and the others."

The Sea Rabbit jumped up from the ocean. Luffy shouted "IT'S THAT THING FROM EARLIER!"

"IT FOLLOWED US!" Brook yelled.

"Don't think you can beat me when we're above the water!" Luffy said as he jumped onto the Sunny figurehead.

The Sea Rabbit let out a mighty roar. "Gum Gum...RIFLE!" Luffy hit the Sea Rabbit in the stomach. The beast started falling backwards.

"Somehow, he didn't seem that big." Usopp stated.

"Because we dealt with Odz. Seems like we're fine." Chopper Laughed, "Gyahahaha!"

"Something came out," Piastol said.

"A fish?" Luffy said.

"A person!?" Usopp shouted as they heard a scream.

"No, It's superman!" Jones said popping out of an air door before popping in again.

"No, that's wrong..." Brook said.

"That's a..." Robin started.

"Could it be!?" Sanji said, a heart in his eye. The mermaid crashed into Sanji, knocking him to the ground.

A starfish landed on his feet, "We're here!"

The mermaid got up, "We're saved! That was incredible!"

"Don't act impressed!" The starfish yelled, "A little longer in there and we would have been goners! How could you not run away from a monster like that!?"

"Well, I didn't notice it..."

"How could you possibly not notice something as huge as that!?" The starfish looked down, "Hey, not that it matters to me, but there's something under you..."

"Huh?" the mermaid looked over, "AAAH! I crushed a human!!! I'm sorry! Are you OK?" She started shaking Sanji's shoulders.

"Oh, don't worry about it~! Anyway, who are...~"

The Straw Hats and Blue Rouges just stared.

"Please! Pull yourself together!"

"That's..." Nami started,

"I can't believe I did something like that! Please pull yourself together!"

Everyone looked at her fish tail and looked up her body to her human head.

"Could it really be...?" Aika trailed off.

"A Mermaid!?" Everyone shouted.


	38. Chapter 39

(Sec 65) * * * * *

The mermaid kept shaking Sanji, "Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"Yeah~"

The two crews just stared at the mermaid. She froze and turned around, "AHHHHHHH! WHAT A SHOCK! THERE ARE SO MANY HUMANS HERE!!"

"What?" Luffy asked.

"You were a surprise, too!" Chopper said, stepping forward.

"I thought I was going to be digested. Thank you for saving me. I keep getting swallowed by monsters. This was probably the 20th time."

"You get eaten too much!" Usopp stated.

"I have to repay you somehow," the mermaid continued, "OH, I know! Would you like some takoyaki?"

"Takoyaki!? That's my favorite food!" Luffy exclaimed.

"REALLY!? Then, That'll be 500 beli per person!"

"EH!?" Everyone shouted.

The starfish slapped the mermaid, "Hey, You're selling them!?"

"GAH! I screwed up!"

Sanji regained a little consciousness before he started spinning, "MERMAID~! MERMAID~! Mermaids, the dream of all mankind! Mermaids, the jewels of the ocean! Yes, I've finally gotten to meet one of them! She's so CUTE~! This is the first time I've ever met one! Caimie, was it?"

"It's not the first time," Usopp corected, "You remember Old Lady Kokoro, didn't you?"

Sanji froze, a look of disappointment on his face, "Thriller Bark? No, that wasn't scary. Not scary at all. The scariest thing we've encountered so far was..."

"Uh, That's right, Sanji!" Usopp said, now realizing his erorr, "Let's just pretend that never happened! This is the first mermaid we've ever met!"

"You guys are so rude!" Nami said.

Luffy turned to Franky, "Huh? Old Lady Kokoro was a mermaid? But she could walk, couldn't she?"

"I see..." Franky said, "You didn't know, huh? Well, it happened while you were fighting that Lucci fellow after all."

"Imagining Old Lady Kokoro as a mermaid is for some reason really gross."

"You're too freaking blunt!" Nami said as she punched Luffy.

"That hurt! What's up with you, Nami!?"

"Geez, when it comes to these guy's expectations of mermaids..."

"But she seems like a cute mermaid, doesn't she?" Robin interupted.

"This is my first encounter with a mermaid, too," Brook said as he stepped forward, "Excuse me, would you please lend me some money?"

Sanji jumped up and kicked Brook upside the head, "WHY WOULD SHE!?"

"A SKELETON!?" Caimie said as she freaked out.

"SEE!? How are you gonna make it up if you scare her!? Get lost!"

"I can open my head as well," Brook said as he popped it opened, "Isn't that funny?"

Sanji took several more kicks at Brook. "That's so funny!" Caimie said as she clapped.

"She sure got over that quickly," Vyse said to Aika.

"By the way," Luffy asked, "Can you poop?"

Luffy dodged Sanji's kick, "What are you trying to ask, Damn YOU!?"

"Ah, well, I-"

"DO NOT!" Sanji shouted, tears in his eyes.

"Caimie? Caimie? This is just weird," The starfish said, Leaning against a wall, "Aren't you missing someone? Who's the one left out of this fun group? Answer: me."

Sanji stopped trying to kick Luffy as they both looked over. Luffy stretched out an arm and grabbed the starfish by the hat. "That's right," Luffy said, "I was wondering about that...Caimie, what's this? This talking glove-thingy..."

"Oh, sorry. I completely forgot. He's my pet, Pappagg." He's a starfish, and he's my master.

"Master?!"

"Yes, my master."

"This guy?"

"Yes."

"Nice to meet you!" Pappagg said as he waved.

"Can starfish talk?" Nami asked Usopp.

"Isn't it strange for her pet to be her master?" Usopp asked back.

"Isn't it also strange that My crew isn't freaking out as much as yours?" Vyse asked.

Pappagg jumped onto a railing, brining out a guitar, "Well, I was taken in, and with reason." He turned around and strummed his guitar a couple times, "~Caimie always feeds me clams~"

"So she feeds you?" Nami asked.

Pappagg kept playing, "Am I a person? I'm a starfish, yet I'm not human. Am I not a person? I'm not a person, but I am a starfish. Are you busy? No, it's fine. We've got enough hands around here." He finished with a guitar solo, "Yay, thank you!" He turned around only to see Fina clapping.

"This is where you're supposed to laugh!"

"So," Caimie explained, "This T-shirt is of the 'Criminal' brand, and it's really popular on Fishman Island these days."

"Oh?" "That's pretty cool," the crews complimented.

"Pappagg designed it! I want to become a designer one day, too!"

"You'll become one!" Sanji said, "You'll definitely make it Caimie!"

"Thank you, Sanji!"

"Nobody listens to me..."

Luffy turned and looked at Pappagg, "Oh yeah, you. How can you talk?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Pappagg said jumping back onto his feet.

"He got over that quickly," Usopp said.

"Back when I was a kid, I always thought I was a human. By the time I found out I was a starfish, I was already speaking the human Launguage!"

"Does it really work like that?" Vyse asked.

"Ah, the world workis in strange and frightening ways. That's just how the world is! Anyway, I'm Pappagg the Starfish! Up-and-Comeing Designer. Thanks for saving me!"

"This is actually a stroke of luck," Aika said to Nami.

"Yeah, we were having trouble figuring out what to do. Mind if we ask you something?"

"HEY! Nami!" Luffy shouted waving his arms around, "The Takoyaki comes first!"

"Ah, that's right!" Caimie said, "The takoyaki to show you my gratitude! Well, I've got to meet up with Hachi somewhere," she brought out a Den-den Muchi.

"Hachi?" Luffy and Vyse asked.

"Hello, Hachi? This is Caimie! Sorry I got kinda lost. Where are you right now?"

"OH, that voice must be Caimie, right?"

"Hachi?"

"Do you know who you're talking to? This ain't Hachi, y'know!"

"YOU'RE NOT Hachi!?"

"This is Makuro! From the simple-minded Makuro Crew! Wait, I shouldn't say that myself..."

"Seems like trouble," Robin said as she put one hand on her face.

"Why do you people have Hachi's Snailphone!?"

"Cause we beat up that Hachi! Isn't it obvious!?"

"Liar! There's no way Hachi would lose to you guys!"

"You have a point. Usually, we'd be no match for him, but this time, we had the Flying Fish Riders on our side!"

"The Flying Fish Riders!?" Pappagg said as he jumped down and around so he was now standing next to Caimie.

"Caimie, you're still alright? Thank goodness."

"H-Hachi! Didi they really beat you?"

"I let my guard down. Dont come here! I'll take out these guys and come strait back! It'll be fine!"

"Hachi..."

"Y'know, Caimie, we're just about to sell this guy. Octopus Fishmen are pretty rare, so he should fetch us quite the price. Feel free to come and save him! We're at the Sabaody Archipelago, in the waters five kilometers east of Grove 44. This is where the Flying Fish Riders' base is!"

"NO! Caimie, don't come here!"

"Shut up, you damn octopus!" *thwack!* "See ya!" *click*

"Hachi..."

"Hey," Usopp said, holding up a hand to try and reasure her.

"So, where's the takoyaki?" Luffy asked.

Vyse smacked the back of Luffy's head and shouted with Franky and Sanji, "This isn't the time for that!"

"Wait..." Nami said, "The voice of that Hachi guy we just heard on the Transponder-Snail, it seemed kinda familiar...It's just my imagination, right? There's no way..."

"Sorry, Luffy," Caimie said, "Can we do Takoyaki later? I've got to save my friend!"

"Huh?" Luffy asked.

"HEY!" Franky, Sanji and Vyse all struck Luffy again.

"Wait, Caimie, I shouldn't be meddling here, but if you want to save your friend, then we'll help you!"

"And we Blue Rouges are always willing to help someone in need," Vyse inputted.

Usopp and Franky nodded there heads in agreement. "No, that's wrong. I mean THEY'LL help you!" Nami said, correcting herself.

"WHY, You..."!

"And in exchange, how about you help us get to Fishman Island?"

"Really, Nami?" Caimie asked, a smile on her face.

"Of course! Right, Luffy?"

"Huh? Sure."

"You're gonna help me save Hachi, Luffy?"

"Well, I'm fine with it, but who's this Hachi anyway?"

"He runs the takoyaki store I work at. Out takoyaki is the best in the world!"

"That's Important! MEN! Even if it costs you your Lives, we're gonna save the takoyaki!"

"YEAH!" The Straw Hat crew men cheered.

"I doubt we'll have to go that far," Vyse said.

"TAKOYAKI! TAKOYAKI!"

"Alright, looks like we all agree to saving your friend," Aika said, "So do you know where they are?"

Caimie brought out a map, Pappagg jumped over after she opened it. "Grove 44 is an island at the very eastern edge of the archipelago. 5 Kilometers east from there...I guess the Flying Fish Riders' base would be about here. Seeing as we're about here right now, if we head strait for the Sabaody Archipelago from here, we should pass it on the way. So, let's head west! Afterwards, we can ask the fish, and figure it out."

"Yeah, that's right." Caimie said, "Let's hurry and go!" She got up and hopped over to the railing.

"Blue Rouges! Back to the Little Jack," Vyse said, turning to Luffy, "We'll take a head start and ambush them from above. If they plan to attack, we'll have the upper hand."

The Little Jack rose from the water, continuing high above the clouds. "AHHHH! That's so cool!" Caimie exclaimed.

"Caimie, pay attention," Pappagg said.

"Right," she turned and cupped a hand over her mouth, "HEY!!!"

Luffy looked over as fish started popping out of the water, "WOW! The fish are sticking their heads out!"

"We want you to lead the way!" there was a pause as Caimie cupped her ear, "They say they're afraid of the Flying Fish, so they won't take us all the way there. But, they'll show us where to go."

"INCREDIBLE!" Nami exclaimed, "You can talk to fish? I had no idea mermaids could do that!"

"Camie, if you were around, we could eat as much fish as we wanted!" Luffy said, a smile on his face.

Sanji reached over and grabbed half of Luffy's face, "Watch your mouth! I'll beat you senseless."

"But how do we follow the fish in the sea anyway?" nami asked.

"Well just take a look!" Pappagg chuckled.

"AWESOME!" Luffy exclaimed.

"The fish are drawing an arrow on the sea!" Usopp stated.

"Fantastic!" Nami said, "We just have to follow this, right?"

"You're awesome, Caimie," Luffy complimented.

"No, I have a long way to go," she said, rubbing the back of her head.

Luffy started patting her on the back, "No, this is really impressive!"

"Alright then, I'll take the helm!" Usopp said as he rushed off.

"Turn it around to 4 o'clock," Robin said.

"Right!"

"YOSH! Let's go, you guys!"

At the Flying Fish Riders Base(which seems like more of a fortress then anything else)...

"So that's how it is, Master Duval." said a fishman, "We've managed to lure the mermaid here! Everything went according to plan!"

"Heh heh heh heh." Chuckled Duval, "Got it. Hey, you guys!"

"Yes, sir?"

"Go meet them."

"Understood."

"Umm," the fishman said, "she is a precious product, so try not to injure her, okay?"

"Hmph."

"This is looking promising," the fishman looked over at Hachi, "Hey, Hachi! This time, both you AND Caimie are done for! Well? Are you ready?"

"Nuu..."

"How's that? You can't do anything here, right!? Muhahaha! Muhahaha!"

Back at the Sunny...

Zoro jumped out of the crows nest from his workout session.

"Zoro!" Luffy said as he landed.

"Are we already setting off? Does it look like we can make it to Fishman Island?"

"Forget that, and look here. It's Caimie the Mermaid! She's real! Awesome, right?"

"Hello!"

"A mermaid, huh?" Zoro thought back about Old Lady Kokoro before he destroyed the memory with his own willpower. "First one I've ever seen."

"He erased it!" Chopper exclaimed, "He just...Erased his memory!"

"We're taking a short detour to save her friend's takoyaki."

"But I'm worried. Hachi sounded like he had trouble talking. I'm sure they've done something awful to him."

"Well, he's tough," Pappagg said reassuringly, "so he should be alright." He turned to Luffy, "Anyway, you guys were pretty quick to offer your help, but are you sure you can handle this?"

"Yeah! We're strong, you know? And Vyse and his crew are strong, too."

"I should warn you though, there's not just one group of kidnappers around here. There are plenty of these guys on the Sabaody Archipelago. Human trading is big business around here."

"Selling human lives? That's horrible!" Sanji said as he lit a cigarette.

"And seeing how mermaids are particularly valuable, the Makuro crew, a gang of three fishmen, have been after Caimie for a while now. Hachi, from the Takoyaki Shop, propably thought we had been kidnapped by the Makuro Crew and went after them since we'd been missing for a while, after being eaten by that monster."

"That's probably it," Caimie said, "Hachi is a kind, straight-forward person, after all. It's my fualt."

Zoro sat down, drinking a gallon of water, "Hearing about this octopus named Hachi, I can't help but think of that stupid fishman."

Sanji took a puff of smoke, "If it's really him, we're not gonna help. There's just no way..."

Pappagg continued, "Usually, Hachi could beat those guys easily, but who'd have thought the Flying Fish Riders would help them?"

"Who're they?" Franky asked.

"Another kidnapping gang who started causing a lot of trouble around these parts recently. They say if they target you, you're doomed! Their boss, Duval, is a guy with an Iron Mask. Nobody knows what he really looks like. It seems like they're looking for someone. They check every single ship that passes this area."

"Huh, what an annoying guy." Franky said, leaning up against a wall, crossing his arms.

"Well, anyway, there's no need for you to worry Caimie," Luffy said, "We'll definitely save the takoyaki!"

"It's the Takoyaki Seller!" Pappagg corrected.

"Thank you, Luffy!"

"Sure! Well then, Brook! Play a song to get us in the mood!"

"Yohohoho! With pleasure!" Brook exclaimed as we got his violin ready.

As Brook played, everyone danced, even the fishes making the arrow, until spread out in fear.

"Huh?" Usopp asked, confused, "Is that...? HEY! We're in trouble!"

Caimie cupped her ear. "What's wrong?" Nami asked.

"The fish said, 'we're sorry, but we can't take you any further.'"

"Hey, what's wrong?" Luffy asked.

"They're here!" Pappagg said, "The Flying Fish Riders!"

Luffy stretched his arm and flung himself on the Sunny's head, "Where? I can't see anything!"

Caimie started hopping up the stairs. "Where are you going? You have to hide!" Nami tried to reason.

"Wrong! They're not in the sea!" Caimie said as she got close to Luffy. She pointed up, "They're in the air!"

Luffy looked up just in time to see three riders coming towards him, dropping a couple of cannonballs.

"The fish are Flying!?" Usopp said, still manning the helm.

"So COOL~!" Luffy said as he peaked around one of Sunny's points.

"Is this the time to be impressed!?" Zoro yelled.

"Damn, they're going to attack us!" Franky stated.

"So the 'Flying Fish' really CAN fly!?" Chopped questioned.

"Hey, did you see that?" one of the riders asked his team mates.

"I saw it," said the second, "No Doubt, that's the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"Contact him right now!" the first demanded, a wide grin on his face.

"Understood" said the third.

"We only came here to find a single mermaid, but this must be our lucky day!"

"Master Duval will be overjoyed!" the second exclaimed as all three turned around.

"Here they come again!" Sanji shouted.

Usopp started turning the ship around, "DAMN! How close are they going to get!?"

The three Fish dove, then rose up once they dropped their bombs.

"Bombs, huh" Zoro said taking out two of his blades, "Damn those guys!"

"GUM GUM..."

"72 pound..."

"PISTOL!"

"CANNON!"

The bombs exploded in midair.

"That was close," Usopp said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Be careful!" Caimie warned, "Once the Flying Fish jump out of the water, they can stay in the air for five minutes!"

"There's no mistaking it, Master Duval!" the third said, "It's them! Sure...WHAT? What did you say!?*click* Return! He told us to pull back!"

"WHAT!?" the first shouted, "Don't be ridiculous!"

"Master Duval's Orders!"

"Fine, but I don't get this...!"

Luffy was in a battle stance when he realized" they had flown away, "What the...?"

"Hey, Makuro," Duval said.

"Yes, Duval, my lord."

"It seems the mermaid you were luring to the base is on a pirate ship right now."

"HUH!? Caimie's on a pirate ship!?"

Duval broke the glass that was in his hand, "I'm sick of waiting...I really was sick of waiting! That pirate ship is the one I've been waiting for!" He grabbed his harpoon gun from his side, "I'll kill him! That man who screwed up my life! You will DIE, Black Leg Sanji!"


	39. Chapter 40

(Sec 66) * * * * *

"So the Flying Fish Riders just left?" Chopper asked.

"Even though they were really on the attack back there..." Franky answered.

"It seemed like they received some kind of message," Robin theorized, "Perhaps they were ordered to retreat? Although I don't know why..."

"I wanna ride those!" Luffy shouted as he danced, "Those Flying Fish can stay in the air for 5 minutes, huh? AWESOME!"

"Anyway," Sanji started, "the place we're headed now is their base, right? In that case, we'd better be prepared to fight them again." He took a puff from his cigarette, "But who'd have guessed that they'd come at us from the sky?"

"How about getting the cannons on the deck?" Usopp suggested, "I'll shoot them all down!"

"Nice Going!" Franky said as we went below deck.

Caimie and Pappagg were on one of the railings of the ship. "I wonder if Hacchin is alright..."

"You know, Macro is really after you!" Pappagg explained, "You've gotta be careful too!"

Caimie sighed, "I guess you're right..."

Back at the Flying Fish Rider's base, the three men returned.

"Duval-sama! The Three of them have returned!"

"Duval-sama, why'd you order us to pul back?" the second one asked.

"I'd like to know that, too," the first stated, "You could have just left the capture of the meremaid and the pirates to us!"

"You Idiots!" Duval shouted as he fired three harpoons at their feet, making them dance for a second. "Do you know..." the three men stood at attention as he started speaking again, "Have any idea how long I've been anticipating the arrival of...THOSE Pirates!?" He placed his gun on his shoulder, "Whenever I think of dat man...This huge, great scar on my back starts throbbin' like Hell!"

"Oh, crap!" The first whispered to his two comrades, "The Head's mad!"

"Ev'ry single day...I've cursed dat man's name ev'ry single day!"

"Head, please calm down!" the first pleaded.

"I'm gonna kill dat guy, right here, today!" he turned to them, "Got it!?" He reloaded his weapon, "Dat's my life-long, immortal wish! DO YA UNDERSTAND!?"

"Yes!" The third exclaimed, "That guy can't be allowed to live!"

"And dat's why ya gotta make sure to do this PROPERLY! Dat's how we'll get'im! You punks just follow my orders exac'ly!"

The three men stood at attention again, the first spoke, "Yes, Head!"

Duval sat back down in his chair, "Hey, Macro-crew!"

"Huh, you called?" Tansui said.

"What is it, Duva?" Gyaro asked.

"'DUVA'!? Whaddaya mean, Gyaro!? And what's with the 'Huh', Tansui!?" Macro shouted at them, "Ya guys should learn some better manners!"

"Heh, 'Duva', that's funny!" Tansui laughed.

"Geez!" Macro turned to Duval, "Oh, you called, Master Duval!?"

"Boss...this guy's totally freaked out..." Gyaro laughed.

"Oh, Shut Up!" Macro shouted again, "Ahhh, I apologise profusely, Master...These guys are complete idiots, they don't even know what they're sayin'!"

Duval chuckled, "oh, it's fine, you guys. To me, you're like my angels of good fortune. I can't even say how thankful I am to you." There was a small silence.

"Go on," Tansui asked.

"I told you to shut up!" Macro shouted again.

"Thanks to you guys," Duval continued, "At last...at LAST...I can meet them! The Straw Hat Pirates!"

Hachi was sitting on the ground behind the three mermen, and at the sound of Straw Hats he flinched a little.

"Straw Hats?" Macro asked, "Who're they?"

'The Straw Hats!?' Hachi thought, 'Then,it wasn't my imagination?'

"Listen up...Dat guy...dat guy I bin waitin' all my life ter kill is on dat boat, a'ight!? I ain't never gonna forgive dat punk!!!" Duval brok about a dozen harpoons at once just by clenching his fist.

"Head!" the first exclaimed, "calm down, please!"

"He really does hat that guy, huh?" Macro observed.

'I never thought I'd hear the name "The Straw Hat Pirates" here...' Hachi thought. "Hey, you, the big guy!"

"It's Duval-sama! Show some manners, you damn octopus!" Macro ordered.

"Are you saying that Caimie has been captured by the Straw Hat Pirates!?" 'This is bad...Of all the people to run into...' "Are they coming here as well?"

"Yeah," the first said, "they're heading here right now. But ain't it your mermaid friend who's turned to the pirates for help?"

"I dunno the details," the second started, "but it doesn't seem like she's been caught. Well, no matter who she brings with her, as long as we're here, we'll catch'em all and sell them to the Human Shop!" the two men laughed.

'As if they could do that! Those guys are terrifyingly strong! This is a problem...I wonder if Nami's there too...I wonder if she's still mad at me...Well, of course she would be...I did those horrible things to her when I was with Arlong, and all...If I don't hurry up and escape before those guys get here, they'll definitely beat me up, too...I'm In Trouble!'

A little later, at the top of one of the watch towers, the lookout saw an oncoming ship, "That's...DUVAL-SAMA! The Straw Hats are here!"

"So, they're finally here?"

"Say, Macro..." Hachi asked, "huh, what is it?"

"I'll give you lots of takoyaki if you let me go?"

"Yeah right, Dumbass! What kinda glutton do you take me for!?"

Duval took a deep breath, "Is that man on the ship?"

"Yes! He's definitely there!"

"It's about time for you to pay the piper an' all!" Macro stated to Hachi, "Prepare yourself!"

"Hey, Gyaro!" Hachi said, "I'll give you lots of Takoyaki if you let me go!"

"Like I said, who'd fall for such a stupid...," Macro turned to Gyaro to see him drooling a waterfall, "HEY! You'd seriously do it!?"

"Get to work, you maggots!" Duval commanded. The remaining men that weren't fishmen scattered.

"Hey, Tansui, I'll give you lots of, huh?" Hachi tried saying as he was dragged away.

"Shaddup you! Just get over here!"

"Huh? I can see something now!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Looks like that's the Flying Fish Riders' base," Franky stated.

"And this Hacchin-guy is being kept over there?" Luffy asked, holding onto his hat.

"Hacchin..." Nami said quietly to herself.

"Hey, let's hurry up and go save the Takoyaki!" Luffy ordered.

"We got it already! Just wait a minute!" Franky shouted back at him.

Sanji was twirling and dansing around, "I'll go in there and save him in a flash, Caimie-chwan~!"

"Thanks a lot, Sanji-chin! Oh! But be careful!" Caimie shouted towards the crew, all turning towards her, "The Macro Crew alone have captured me about 30 times!"

"You get captured too much!" Usopp said. Caimie chuckled. "You also get eaten too much as well."

"Seems like we've entered their territory, huh?" Franky said with his arms crossed.

Usopp clenched his stomach, "I'm getting the old 'I-shouldn't-get-on-this-island-disease' again..."

"This isn't really an island, though," Franky corrected, "It seems like someone built a village on top of the water."

"Oh...then it's the 'I-shouldn't-enter-this-village-that-someone-built-on-top-of-the-water-disease'!" Usopp corrected himself, clenching his heart.

"Usopp-kun, I thought you were a brave man of the sea," Kaya stated.

"Oi, Oi! I am! Now lets get you below deck where you can't get hurt..."

"Why would they want to set up their base here?" Zoro asked?

"Who knows...?" Sanji said.

"It sure is quiet here," Chopper said after a little while.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Usopp said, still clenching his chest, "Luffy, should we really-"

"Forward!" Luffy commanded.

"OI! Shouldn't we at least think over the plan for a second!?"

"HEY~!" Caimie shouted and waved, "HACCHIN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?"

"GET OUT HERE, MARCO!" Pappagg shouted, "GIVE HACHI BACK!"

"Oh, damn! It really is the Straw Hats' ship!" Hachi said to himself. "Damn it!" he cursed as he tried to squirm free of the ropes. "I really can't get out...Well, in that case...!" Hachi put his head straight up, "Octo-Hachi Black!" and spurted out a small geyser of ink.

"It seems like someone is inside that cage," Robin observed.

"Who's that black guy?" Franky asked.

"HUH!?" Caimie jumped in between Franky and Usopp, "Move over..." she crouched down by the railing, "Could that be Hacchin...?"

"This is great, Caimie!" Pappagg exclaimed, "There aren't even any enemies around! They must all be off having a snack!"

"Seems like it!"

"Are you guys even serious!?" Usopp shouted, "Anyone could tell that this is a trap!"

"Everyone is obviously hiding in there, waiting to ambush us," Franky explained.

"EH!?!?" Caimie and Pappagg exclaimed, "What Brilliant Deduction! I never would have considered that!"

"AND THAT'S WHY YOU KEEP GETTING CAUGHT!" Franky shouted back at them.

"I'm here! Caimie, I'm okay, so you don't have to worry!"

"Hacchin, it really is you!" Caimie said as the ship stopped, "...eh?...YOU'RE ALL BLACK! WHAT HAPPENED!?"

"Well, this is kinda my own fault...Anyway, this is a trap, so hurry and turn back! You know that I'm strong, right? So it's fine, just go!"

"That voice is really familiar," Zoro stated, "and then there's that unusual silhouette...Hey, Nami, what do you think?"

"Hmm, There's something very suspicious about him..."

"What?" Luffy asked.

"we'll know if we ask him, right?" Sanji deducted. "HEY! Is Arlong doing alright!?"

"Huh? Arlong? No. Him, Choo, Kuroobi and everyone else got caught by the Navy. I was the only one that escaped, and I'm now living out my old dream of running a takoyaki-stand."

"Arlong.........?" Luffy said.

Nami and Zoro sighed, "I knew it."

A look of Panic slowly came over Luffy's face, "SO IT WAS YOU, HUH, YOU DAMN SQUID!?"

"GAHHHHHHHH~! Damn It! D-Damn it all!"

"So you're that damn squid who was with Arlong!? You're that Takoyaki-seller, Hacchin!?"

"What?" Robin asked as she, Franky, Chopper, Brook and Usopp gathered together.

"Well, it was a while ago now..." Usopp explained, "But Nami's hometown was once under the control of a nasty crew of fishmen called the Arlong Pirates...Nami was in quite a terrible situation herself, and that Octopus was one of the top-members."

"Ah, so he's an old enemy, huh?" Franky said.

"Of course, I took Luffy and the others along, and kicked the crap out of the whole crew!"

"Usopp, You're awesome!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah! I thought all the fishmen were arrested by the Navy...but it seems like that guy managed to get away..."

Brook took a sip of tea, "I see. You have experienced quite a lot..."

"HEY, SQUID!" Luffy started shouting again, "Now that we know it's you, there's no way we'll save you!"

"So...cancel the rescue?" Vyse said as he came onto the deck, riding what looked like a sailboard.

"B-but...i...is......Is your Takoyaki really as good as I heard it was!?"

"Oh, come on!" Vyse said as he folded up his board, "Getting caught between your appetite and your reason?"

"How stupid," Zoro stated.

"You mean, you know Hacchin?" Caimie smiled, "Is Hacchin an old friend of yours?"

"HE'S NOT OUR FRIEND!" Zoro said as flames erupted around him.

"AHHHHHH~"

"Turn the ship around," Usopp ordered.

"Nami-chin?"

"Sorry, Caimie...We never would have thought your friend was that guy..."

"No way...Then, you won't help me save him after all? Hacchin!"

"Caimie! That's okay! Just turn back! This is a trap!"

"No...I'll save you...Hacchin, you're always saving us, after all! Pappagg!"

"Hey, the Straw Hats may be out, But I lead my own crew. I'll help you save your friend."

"Vyse?" Nami asked.

"This wouldn't be the first time I've helped an enemy, and the kindness is usually paid back when we need it."

"We won't abandon you, Hachi!" Caimie and Pappagg exclaimed as they jumped overboard.

"Caimie-chan!" Sanji shouted.

"Those idiots," Zoro said, arms crossed.

"Did I NOT just say I'd help you out!?" Vyse shouted.

"Are they gonna be alright?" Chopper asked.

"I'm sure they wouldn't just jump in like that..." Usopp tried to reason, "They should have some sort of plan..."

"We've got you now, Caimie!" The three fishmen said as they surfaced.

"Oh, Come on! That's just pathetic!" Usopp shouted.

"Muhahaha! Now we're gonna be rich!" Marco laughed.

"And with Hachi, who always saves you, in that state and all!" Gyaro exclaimed.

"You won't get away, Caimie!" Tansui shouted.

"That's why I told you to run! Caimie! Pappagg!"

"Why you...Caimie hasn't done anything!" Sanji started to yell at Hachi.

"Wait, Sanji-kun!" Nami said, stopping Sanji for a moment.

Hachi banged his head against the bars, "I'll save you right now, Caimie!" He continued his usless battle against the steal bars.

Nami sighed, "Fine, we'll save Hachi as well."

"WHAT!?" the Straw Hat males exclaimed.

"Hachi isn't that bad. Actually, he's harmless!"

"Tell that to my scars," Zoro mumbled.

"And we promised Caimie, too."

"Spoken like a Blue Rouge."

"N...Nami-swan~. That firm, determined appearance is just wonderful!"

"Is it really alright?" Zoro asked.

"Luffy?" nami asked.

"If you say so, then I guess there's no choice. Lets save the octopus as well," Luffy turned to his crew, drool at his mouth.

"You're thinking about the Takoyaki!" Usopp shouted.

At the center of the base, Duval removed his helment and readied a transponder snail. "Are the preparations ready...Flying Fish Riders?"

Underwater, beneath the base, the Riders reved up their fish. "Of Course, we're always prepared!" the first spoke through his bubble helmet.

"GUM GUM...PISTOL!" Luffy wrapped his arm around Caimie a couple times before he tried realing her in, before he flew off the deck. "Wait, that wasn't supposed to happen!" He grabbed Pappagg by his hat before he continued sailing across the sky.

"He's a Devil Fruit user!?" Marco questioned.

Luffy positioned himself so he'd be able to jump fro Hachi's Cage and then onto the edge of the base.

"Damn you!"

"Straw Hat! Thank you so much! I'm indebted to you!"

"Zoro! Cut the Octopus' Ropes and the Cage!" Luffy commanded.

"Sure thing!"

"STRAW HAT!" Hachi yelled, "Be Careful! You've already sprung the trap! The Flying Fish Riders have you surrounded!"

"CHARGE!" Duval shouted into the Snail Phone.

"Luffy-chin!" Caimie said.

"Whether it's from the sea or the sky, we're ready for'em! We're gonna beat them all! GUYS! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!"

"YEAH!"

"Damn it" Marco cursed, "Now, while we have the chance, lets take Caimie back!"

Usopp looked overboard, "They're here!"

"Right!" Chopper, Zoro and Sanji said as the went up to the higher deck.

Vyse jumped into the air, "Rain of Swords!"

The lightning blades crashed into the water just as the fish riders were clear from the blast. As he landed back on deck he threw a hand in the air, "Pyrulen!" A huge flame erupted from his palm into the sky, exploding into a massive firball. "Reinforcements are on the way."


	40. Chapter 41

(Sec 67) * * * * *

"Now then," Luffy started as the Flying Fish Riders flew around the Sunny, "let's see...OKAY!" Luffy exclaimed as one flew upside down, "It'll be him!" Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed him by the shoulders, "Go~tcha~!" He landed on the guys back, "My Turn!"

"Wh-WHAT!?" Luffy tossed him and and took the handlebars.

"Wooh~This is the best! Whoo! I'm flyi~ng!!"

"As if you haven't flown before!" Vyse shouted as he kept throwing spells at the enemy.

"Luffy is riding one of those!?" Chopper shouted.

"Let him be," Sanji answered calmly.

"Have a taste of this!" one of the riders shouted as he threw some bombs down below.

Robin crossed her arms while Sanji jumped to the part of the deck the were aiming for, "Concasse!" He threw the bombs around the ship, just causing harmless explosions in the water, "Nami-san~! Robin-Chwan~! Are you alright~?"

"That was really close," Usopp stated.

"Throwing bombs at a Lady? I'm not going to forgive you for that!"

"Lower the Sail!" Nami commanded, "It'll get in the way!"

One Fish rider picked up his snail phone, "DIVE!"

"Roger!" All the Flying Fish dove, evn the one Luffy was riding on.

"Luffy!" Chopper yelled.

"Luffy-san!" Brook shouted as bothe he and Chopper dove after him.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Frank shouted as he and Nami dove in after them. After he got them on deck, he got the water out of their systems, "Whaddya think you're doing in the middle of a fight, Huh!?"

"I'm berry sorry" Luffy said as he spit out a couple of small fish.

"And why'd the hell you idiots jump after him!?"

"I'b also berry sorry," Chopper said as he spit out a little more watch.

"The sabe goes for byself..." Brook said, "sorry for all the trouble."

"It's a pain for us too, you know, when we have to fish out all three of you hammers!" She smacked Brook, "Idiots! Stop giving us extra work!"

The three fishmen surfaced again near the edge of the base.

"GAH! The Macro Crew!" Caimie and Pappagg shouted.

"Now's our Chance! Go get Caimie!" Macro ordered.

"NO! CAIMIE! PAPPAGG!" Hachi shouted as he rattled his cage. In one swift movement, Zoro destroyed the bars. Hatchi rose from the water, the ink now washed off, "My cage and ropes are gone! Thanks Roronoa! You're a nice guy, aren't you?"

Zoro sat on the bar the Cage was hanging from, "Captain's order, idiot."

"Eh...? Hachi!?" Macro said as he and his crew slowly turned to him.

"Why, you little punks! Taking advantage when I couldn't move...Beating the Crap out of me!"

"Auau!" Tansui shouted, "Don't think I've finished with you yet, Hachi! I'll land the finisher with my Fishman Karate!"

"Man you are one unlucky guy!" Macro laughed, "Still flappin' your mouth off like that, jeez. You ain't seen nothing yet, pal!"

"Come and get it," Gyaro said, "I've developed a new style of 'Goldfish fencing' just to slice you up! The waters will be stained with you blood!"

"HACCHIN!" Caimie and Pappagg yelled.

The three fishmen jumped towards Hachi, "TAKOYAKI* PUNCH!" Nailed all three of them in the face with his right hands.

"We'll let you off this once!!!" The three of them yelled as the disappeared from sight as they flew.

"Caimie! Pappagg!" Hachi yelled as he jumped on shore.

"Waa~ Thank God, Hacchin!" they both exclaimed.

"Nyuu~! I'm sorry, Caimie, Pappagg! I was trying to save you, but-"

"Don't worry about it, Hachi," Pappagg said, "AHH! Watch out!"

One of the fish riders was charging from above with a harpoon, "Don't you go forgetting now! This is OUR Base! The ones in charge around here...ARE US!"

"Nyu?"

"The Flying Fish Riders!!" he raised the Harpoon, ready to stab Hachi in the back.

"NYUU!"

"GAH!" Zoro had jumped off the Cage and sliced the man off his fish, making it stray course and crashing away from Hachi and his friends.

"Roronoa!"

"Zoro-chin!"

Zoro sheathed his blade and stood up, "you need to watch yourself. Leave this to us. Get back, the lot of you."

"Thank you so, so much, Roronoa!! I'm really sorry about what happened back then!"

"Back then?"

"I cut you up pretty bad with my 'Rokutouryuu' back then."

"You never even landed a single hit!"

"Nyu? Is that true?"

"Here they come, Chopper!" Usopp said as he and Chopper rolled a cannon over, "Take this assholes!" They fired the cannon at a group of three that were flying at them.

"DIRECT HIT! Man, did you see that!?" Usopp exclaimed.

"Usopp, you're amazing!"

"Anybody up for the 'Zero-fight'?" Duval asked into his snail phone.

"Zero-fight!?" his men echoed back. The first answered, "We're up for it, but boss, when we do that, we bet our lives on it!"

"You have the medical fees covered, don't you?"

"100 million, you know."

"WOOH!" the men all said.

"I'll do it, boss!" one said as he stood up and started swinging a giant flail, "Move it, move it, MOVE IT!"

"Some...big guy just appeared," Vyse stated.

"And he's whirling around a massive club!" Chopper added.

"That guy's not even steering!" Sanji said, "don't tell me he's planning a kamikaze charge? A man that size and speed...our ship won't hold," he turned to Luffy, "Hey, You take care of the Fish."

"Cower Before me! With my size and speed, the impact will be like a small meteor!"

"He's not gonna budge," Vyse stated.

"Well, he's not the only one who packs a punch in the air!" Sanji said. As he was about to jump, he saw another flying object. Luffy was going ahead anyway.

"GUM GUM...BALLON!" The fish bounced into Luffy's stomach.

"ROCKET...PUNCH!" Vail shouted as he smack the guy in the jaw.

Luffy grabbed the fish and slammed it onto the deck, "This is our dinner tonight!"

"That was so cool!" Chopper exclaimed.

"I think we're going to need a second one," Vail commented as he landed.

Robin kneeled down next to the fish, "It's rather large up close."

Vail Shot another punch, knocking out another Fish Rider, then he grabbed the fish, slamming it onto another part of the deck.

"Damn. I guess they won't go down easily..."

"Usopp!" Nami shouted

Usopp turned around and dove behind the cannon as one of the Riders tried to slam into him. "Come to think of it, there really are a ton of them flying up there...Do we have to take them all down?"

"I still want to ride one!" Luffy shouted, "don't think I've given up just because of what happened before!"

"Give it up, will you!" Nami shouted, "I won't save you next time!"

"What am I plying at!?" Brook said as he was on his hands and knees.

"Huh? What up, Brook?" Luffy asked.

"My first battle as one of the Straw Hat Pirates, It would be a disgrace if I couldn't even lend a hand! It's about time we reduced their number of fish...This isn't much, but," he unsheathed his blade, "please, watch carefully!" Brook jumped up to about the halfway point of the mast before he jumped off of that to ascend even higher.

"What an amazing jump!" Chopper exclaimed as he and Luffy watched in awe.

Brook placed his Violin on his shoulder, his Blade at the ready to play some music.

"What's with the Skeleton-Mask?" One of the rideres asked as a group of five charged Brook, "We'll make short work of you!"

"Ne-mu-ri-ut-a: Flan!**" Brook made a single stroke, and the song seemed to play itself. The men started falling asleep.

"AMAzing..." Chopper dosed off, as did Luffy.

"You guys too!?" Nami shouted at them.

Brook fell towards the water, but just as he hit it, he started running at his high speed, dodging the Falling Fish, "Music...Is Power! YOHOHOHO! Excuse me, coming through!" Brook shouted as he sliced up a few more.

"Why that little...what the hell was that!?"

"He must've pulled some kind of dirty little trick!"

"It's not a trick!" Brook corrected smiling as he sheathed his blade, "It's 'music'! YOHOHOHO!" He dodged another Fish that was diving, "YOHO," and another "HOHO," and another, "HO!"

"Good going Brook!" Luffy cheered, "Things are getting interesting now."

"OMEGA CYCLONE!" One of the towers were consumed in a flaming tornado, getting at least a dozen of the Fish Riders.

"Lunar Winds!" a whirlwind came through, nocking several more of the riders down.

"HAND OF FATE!" A group of three was sent flying into another tower.

"I see you started the party without us," Gilder said, Mind if we join?

"It's getting interesting now! I'm going, too!" Luffy shouted as he grabbed another rider.

"Luffy! Not again!" Nami shouted.

"Gotchya! Don't you dare dive down again, you hear!?" Luffy took a closer look at the rider, "EH!? They're asleep! Wake up DAMN IT!" The fish went out of control and crashed into the center of the village.

"GAH! That bastard! Crashing into the Boss' Room!"

"Ow...ow...ow..." Luffy said all heaped on the floor. He opened his eyes to see Duval standing before him.

He put his helmet on, "You saw it, didn't you?"

"AH!? You!?"

Duval hooked up his extra harpoons to his belt, "You know me, yes?"

Zoro was breathing heavily, he clenched his chest.

"Ro-Roronoa!" Hachi said as he and his friend drew closer.

Brook was still running on the water with two fish riders chasing him as he laughed. He jumped back "Yo*slice*HO*slice*HO*slice*! Yohohoho!" he started sinking into the water before he crashed on the shore, "Yoho-! I've reached my limit! My legs are worn out. Though, I have no muscles to wear out in the first place~!"

"Brook, you're in high spirits," Zoro said, taking deep breaths, "You took down a lot of those flying fish."

"HAH! That was nothing to bring me to my knees...but perhaps a small rest wouldn't hurt..." Brook said as he laid down.

"Ki!" Zoro placed his fists on the ground.

"Zoro-san, it seems like you're still suffering from the damage from Thriller Bark."

Zoro took a couple more deep breaths, "It's not enough for me to lose to these fish freaks. Don't worry," he smiled at Brook.

"Keep your guard up, Roronoa!" Hachi yelled as he charged at him with his six blade, then jumped up, "Rokutouryuu: Takoashi Kiken!**"

Zoro turned around to see Hachi was taking down another fish rider that was aiming for them. "Eh, You saved us?" Zoro asked after Hachi was back on the ground.

"Nuufu! Yeah! Since you guys were just sitting around. Nuufufufu!"

"Hacchin! That was really cool!" Caimie said as she waved her arms around.

"As expected from you, Hachi!"

"Nyu? Is that true?" He asked as he turned around, "Nuufufu!"

"DIE MERMAN!" Another rider said as he burst from the water Throwing a Harpoon at Hachi.

"Pardon me!" Brook said as he deflected the Harpoon.

Zoro jumped behind the rider and sliced up his back, sending him back to the sea.

"Nyuu...I thought I was gonna die! Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Brook replied.

"You're claws weren't sharpened," Zoro mocked.

"We can't go in alone anymore! Gather together the Hentai**** Group!"

"Huh? Pervert? Did you call me...?" Franky asked more to himself.

"Attack with our Hentai Hikou*****!"

"Eh? Perverted Misdeed? Are you talking about me?"

"NO THEY'RE NOT!" Usopp and Sanji yelled at him.

"Hey! Over here!" Nami shouted from atop the Crows nest, Robin standing nearby. "Welcome~!"

"A woman!? It's a waste, but we've been ordered to exterminate everyone!"

"Can you really kill me?" nami asked as the man swung his club through her as she vanished.

"WHAT!?" one fish rider said as another flew into a Dark Cloud.

"Too bad! Mirage Tempo. Be careful of those Thunder Clouds up ahead!" Nami warned as several more flew into the clouds before the lightning struck.

Another rider went for Robin, "Dos manre******!" Grabbing the man by the throat and making him fall backwards

Chopper jumped up to attack another rider, "Kokutei Diamond!"

"Don't break the Hentai!"

"So you DID call me-"

"No he didn't!" Sanji and Usopp corrected again.

Several bullets were being fired at Franky, "What? So they *clang* weren't calling *clang* me?"

"What is he!? Guns don't work!"

Frank flipped his shades down and crouched, "STRONG HAMMER!" punching the fish in the stomach and sending it back to the sea.

"Take this!" Usopp said as he fired his Kabuto, "Damn! Missed. Franky!" Usopp turned to his friend who had switched to his Machine Gun Wrist, "Let's attach the ship to the dock! If we're in the middle of the sea like this, those guys have the advantage!"

"You know, that's part of our pride. And they're not currently going to give us the time to move!"

"AHHH!" Luffy shouted as he dodged several harpoons and crashed through a wall.

"Luffy!?" Zoro asked.

"Run! A Big guy is coming!"

"Is it Iron-mask?" Hachi asked.

"It's the Mask guy! And a COW!"

"Cow?" Zoro and Brook asked as they turned to another smashed down wall.

"That's Motobaro's voice!" One of the riders said as they heard a roar.

"It's the Boss!"

"Bastards, knocking things down and causing a big commotion!"

"WHAT IS THAT!?" Usopp exclaimed.

"You're not Mosquitoes, Flying Fish Riders!" Duval continued.

"He..he destroyed his own hut and came out," Usopp observed.

"I don't need this base anymore!" Duval yelled, "As long as I kill the Straw Hat Crew!"

"We're really sorry, boss!" one of the riders said as the landed, "We'll send these guys flying into the ocean in a matter of-"

"MOVE!" Duval yelled as his beast shook the ground, "Mermen have no business with mermaids! If you run away, go wherever the hell you want!"

"I'm a starfish!" Pappagg corrected as he, Caimie and Hachi scooted away.

"I didn't enter the Human Trade Business because I wanted to! You all understand that, don't you!?" Duval turned to his men.

"Of course, boss!"

"What a glorious day today is! That man who I've wanted to kill...and kill some more, That man who I've seen in dreams, Is right before my eyes! THANK YOU! There really is a God, huh? T-H-A-T M-A-N who, on a certain day, sent me to hell!"

"Is he looking at us?" Usopp asked Robin and Franky.

"Even if it comes down to a battle of stabbing at each other. Today, I will definitely kill you!!! PIRATE BLACK LEG SANJI!!!"

"Huh?"

"I've wanted to meetchya!"

"This is bad! The boss is really angry now!"

"Me? He's gonna kill me!? That guy..."

"Who is that guy?" Franky asked Sanji, "He seems to have a grudge against you."

"It'd probably be from the Baratie," Nami suggested, "Try hard and remember!"

"If we're going that far back, then I have a lot of people who hold a grudge against me."

"Rightful Revenge," usopp said as he put an arm around Sanji.

"Don't just stand there, Black Leg! This is something more recent!" Duval started firing his Harpoons.

"Watch out! Get down! Harpoons!" Usopp panicked.

The crew ducked just in time.

"Recent? That makes even less and less sense..."

"Wait..." Usopp said as a purple gas started to emit from the harpoons, "These harpoons, there's something odd about them..."

"These are Scorpion's Poison Harpoons!" Duval announced as he got a second round ready, "If they get ya, you'll be dead within minutes!" He fired the next round.

"Nami-swan!" Sanji said as he broke several that were headed for her in half. "That bastard! I can't remember a freaking thing! Who the hell are you!?"

"You and your crew is all gonna suffer!"

"I saw what's behind the mask," Luffy told Zoro from behind one of the walls.

"Really? Who the hell is he?"

"I'll show you. Everyone will remember this face." Luffy charged at Duval, "OryAAAAAA!" He shouted and smashed the helmet off Duval's head.

"Th-That bastard!" The Flying Fish Riders shouted.

"...FINE! Take a good look!"

"EH!? No Way!" both crews shouted.

Sanji's eyes went berserk at the site of Duval's Face. "I've waited for this day...In order to send you to hell, I set out to sea! But finding you has been a problem, because the Face on this wanted poster," Duval held up Sanji's Wanted Poster, "Is different then the person himself! Even if the Marines or Bounty Hunters came across the real thing, they'd just pass him by! No, there's no way that could happen! They'll find you guys!"

"Boss!" The Fish Riders sobbed.

"They'll find you and they'll say: 'Found you!' Black leg Sanji! And then I'll say, but I'm not him! I don't know him! I'm not even a Pirate!" Duval raised his head so that the shadow across his face would remove itself to reveal he looked exactly like Sanji's Wanted Poster.

Flames consumed Sanji's body, "DON'T MESS WITH ME!!!"


	41. Chapter 42

(Sec 68) * * * * *

Everyone stared at the Sanji-Look-A-Like in awe that there would be someone that looked like him.

"To think that someone would actually look like Sanji's wanted poster," Nami said after a few moments.

"It's a big world," Vyse stated, "Heck, there's probably a traveling circus somewhere that's imitating you guys!" Vyse laughed.

"Black leg Sanji...EVERYTHING IS /YOUR/ FAULT!"

The flames dispersed from Sanji's body as he stood up strait, turned around and started running.

"SANJI!" Usopp shouted as he turned at the sound of his steps, "Where are you going?"

Sanji jumped overboard and started swimming for the shoreline

"Do you understand?" Duval continued, "A sudden head wind trying to take my life. I ran, Ran away from the marines to not get caught! Ran away from the bounty Hunters to not get killed! WHY!?"

Sanji climbed up from the water. "Sanji?" Luffy questioned as he started walking towards them.

"Because of you being a pirate, I had to run and hide to survive every single day!" Sanji started running. "What the hell did I do!?" Sanji ran faster. "GIVE BACK MY LIFE! BLACK LEG SANJI!!!"

Sanji jumped up into the air as he got closer to Duval and spun around. As his leg was about to make contact with Duval's head, "LIKE HELL!" He shouted as he kicked Duval across the face, making his nose begin to bleed.

"What the hell do you know!?" Duval shouted as Sanji landed in front of him, "Who the hell is gonna take responsibility for this except for you!?"

"SHUT UP! If anyone has the right to be pissed off about that wanted poster, it's me!"

"I can understand his feelings," Franky cried.

"But," Chopper started, "when Sanji first found out about his wanted poster, he was really depressed."

"Was that Sanji born under a miracle star or something?" Usopp asked.

"I'm sure he'll have a very interesting death someday," Robin stated.

"Dammit," Franky said, trying to stop his tears, "I can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy."

"Nyuu~. They're like twins or something."

"Like peas in a pod," Zoro commented.

"YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Brook laughed as he fell to his knees, pounding his fist on the ground, "YOHOHOHOHOHO!"

"BROOK! I'm kicking you ass later!" Sanji yelled

"Only if I don't die from laughter first! YOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! BUT I AM ALREADY DEAD! YOHOHOHO! SKU~LL JO~KE!"

"So, Sanji," Luffy said, "we'll just be going on ahead..."

"Is THIS meant to be MY fault!?!?" Sanji shouted as he pointed at Duval, "If you don't want to look like my poster," Sanji turned to Duval, "Change your hairstyle, or your beard for God's Sake!"

"Tch!?" Duval said as he sort of gasped, ".........AH!? I never thought of that!"

"HOW STUPID /ARE/ YOU GUYS!?" Sanji shouted.

"I'm NOT Stupid!" Duval yelled back, "You know what, Black Leg!? You know what, Black Leg!? You know who we are?" Duval asked as a tear fell down his face, "We used to run a humble mafia in a remote countryside town...We'd go around, threatening people for their money. It was a simple, peaceful life...But one day, my life would be turned upside down! At that time, I was sure that the village would never forget my face. But then...the Marines came. Black Leg, do you understand now? A guy like me, who has never killed anyone, suddenly gets a bounty of 77,000,000 beri? The gap of power between me and the Marines...I have this nasty scar on my back, and I was forced to wear this iron mask to hide my face from the world! Thank'da to you, My life's been totally destroyed! I'm gonna chase you down to hall an' back if I hafda! If you don't wan' that, den you just gonna hafda kill me righd here!" Sanji jumped up, grabbed Duval by his neck and made him lean back to where he was lying down, "He's killing me!"

"I've had enough of your stupid accusations. If I'M the only one you're after, why'd the hell you try and hurt Nami and everyone else as well, huh!?"

Duval gasped for air, so Sanji let up just a smidge for him to speak, "It's that crew an' that ship that made you a famous pirate!" Duval started lifting himself up, "Of course I'm gonna want revenge on them too, you dumbass! You can just DIE!" Duval smacked Sanji's hand away and brought out another Harpoon Gun. Sanji jumped back as Duval fired. Using his amazing acrobatic abilities, Sanji twirled and flipped through the air, dodging every harpoon. Duval picked up his snail phone, "Get in Formation!"

Several of the Fish Riders burst from the water immediately on call, "This is the end, Black Leg! Take This!"

"Cut it out, will yo?" Sanji asked as he jumped into the air and shattered the glass bubble and the man's skull with a kick.

"We have you now, Black Leg," Duval chuckled.

As Sanji fell back towards the ground, two more Riders descended upon him, capturing him with a net.

"Sanji-kun!" Nami yelled.

"They're taking him into the sea!" Usopp shouted.

Sanji tried to kick the net off of him, "Shit, it's made of steel."

"Now Suffer and Drown!" Duval shouted.

"Rocket Punch!" Drachma and Vail said as they shot their fists at the riders, just missing them as the hit the water.

"SHIT! I'll go an-" Luffy started as he ran.

Zoro jumped in front of him and pushed him back, "You stay here, Idiot! I'll go grab him!"

"You're humans," Hachi said as he ran past them, "you'll never catch them in time! Leave it to me!"

"Fools!" Duval laughed, "You may be a merman, but you won't catch them either, Those are Flying Fish!"

"Nyuu~?" Hachi stopped.

"They're the fastest creatures in the entire ocean! And the Riders have Air Canisters, so they can stay as long as they need to! Black Leg Sanji will not survive this!"

"Feel the wrath of our boss, Black Leg!" one of the Riders shouted from inside the safty of his helmet.

'I...can't...blargh!' Sanji's breath left his body as the riders drug him even deeper into the ocean.

"Don't worry," Caimie said as she through her shell pack on the ground, "I'll save him." She flipped her tail, smacking the ground and launching herself into the air towards the water.

"Oi, cowboy," Pappagg said as he crossed his arms, "I think you're forgetting someone..."

"Hmm!?"

"Oh, sure, Flying Fish are Faster then mermen in the water, that IS true, but the Fastest? Not by a LO~NG shot! Only one species has the title of fastest in the ocean, And that's Mermaids!" Caimie was going through the water like a bullet fired from a gun, and gaining sea on the riders. "There isn't a single thing faster then a mermaid. Their slender bodies and long tails allow them to zip through the water."

"Are they really that fast?" Luffy asked?

"Oh yeah, as long as they actually stay on their guard, mermaids are incredibly difficult to catch!"  
"Don't worry, Sanji-chin, I'm coming to save you!"

Three dozen Fish Riders burst from the water at once, dragging something along with them.

"What is that!?" Nami asked.

"It's a Giant Anchor!" Franky shouted, "They're going to sink us with that in one shot!"

"Some of them are fruit users!" One of the Riders shouted, "We get them and they're all ours!"

"We've gotta use our Secret Weapon!" Franky shouted, "The Burst and Paddle are too slow," Franky grabbed the helm, "Usopp, get to the bow!"

"You know," Vail said butting in, "Piastol is here with the Little Jack, and the Harpoon Cannon."

"Sunny-Go is in danger!" Luffy shouted.

"That doesn't look good!" Brook shouted as he pulled on his afro.

"This'll be a fatal hit," Robin chuckled.

"Drop Anchor!"

"Believe in this ship," Franky said. The Maine started spinning, "Emergency Evasion Secret Weapon!" Franky pulled a lever, "Chicken Voyage!" The Maine spun faster and acted like a fan, blowing the ship in reverse.

"Well...that's interesting," Vail said.

"Usopp, get inside the prow!"

"Inside?" usopp said as he pulled on the staircase behind the Head, "Huh, an entrance?"

"Don't think dodging is all this Lion can do! This ship has yet to show it's true strength!" The mouth opened up, revealing a cannon.

"WOW~!" Luffy and Chopper exclaimed.

"Cola energy pumping, start!" As the three cola barrels shook up and down, the cannon extended.

"Energy is up!" Usopp shouted as he sat down at the controls, "What now!?"

"Get as many as you can in site!"

Usopp looked down, an there was a screen, showing him where the cannon was aiming at.

"Push the button on the lever to lock on, then pull the lever!" Usopp pushed the button, and energy started filling the cannon. "Gaon Cannon..." Usopp and Franky said together, "FIRE!" Usopp pulled the lever. The cannon's blast was so powerful, not only did it eliminate everything in its path, Usopp fell backwards as the ship was launched slightly. As the last of the blast left the cannon, the cannon glowed red, and the Coup de Burst was turned off, as it was used as a counter balance.

"THAT," Franky shouted as he laughed, "Is the TRUE Power of the Sunny-Go!"

"You just took out all those flying fish!" Aika exclaimed.

"Thanks to Usopp's aiming," Franky said.

"Damn good stuff for a first try!" Drachma complimented.

Vyse took a look into the prow, "wait a second...this looks exactly like the Moon Stone Cannon Controls!"

"Now Cola Powered, instead of Moon Stone Power!" Franky said as he gave a thumbs up. "It uses three full barrels to prevent the ship itself from being blown away. While three barrels are used for the blast, two more are used for the Burst. It uses up a ton of cola, so don't go overusing it!"

Meanwhile, deep under the sea, Caimie has just tide up the two Fish Riders with their own net. "Just a little further, Sanji-chin! Hang in there!" she coached as she sped up towards the surface, holding Sanji's head very close to her body.

"CAIMIE!" Nami shouted as she surfaced.

"Is Sanji alright?" Fina asked.

"It's terrible! Sanji-chin is losing a lot of blood!"

"EH!?"

"Did they beat him up while he was down there?" vyse asked.

"Just when I though he was safe, blood started bursting from his nose..."

"His...nose?" Gilder asked.

"Oh...just leave him," Usopp said after looking as Sanji, a heart in his eye, "If he's gonna die, just let him die."

"Yeah, it looks like Sanji will die happily," Nami said in an annoyed tone.

"Hang on Sanji-shin!"

"Am I in Heaven~?"

"Damn it! You're still alive!?"

"Running out of grunts, aren't you?" Luffy asked.

"If that's the case, why don't you try Motobaro on for size!? Countless fools have fallen victim to his mighty horns in the past! Why, they have even been known to tear holes in village dams!" Vyse opened up his board and flew to the shore. "Try to cage him, and he'll break straight back out! Men call him the 'Heart-Smashing Horn'!"

"Yosh!" Luffy said as he pounded his fists together, "I'll-"

"Hold up a second, Luffy" Vyse said as he put one of his Vlorik Blades in front of him, "I'd like to take this one."

Motobaro charged, Luffy stood back as he watched. Vyse crossed his blades, and as the bull hit them, stopped dead in his tracks.

"EH!?" Chopper yelled, "The Horns aren't anywhere NEAR him!"

"There's no point in us fighting!" Vyse said, a mad look in his eyes.

Motobaro stared in fear for a few moments before he started backing away. "What's wrong?" Motobaro turned around and bucked a few times as he ran away, knocking Duval off. He ran about 50 feet before he fell over on his side.

"What the?" Drachma said.

"Vyse? What'd you do?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"AHH! Motobaro~! This is terrible, dammit!"

"Vyse didn't even attack," Robin stated, "it looked like he won just by reasoning with it..."

"All he did was psyched it out?" Gilder asked, "But it fainted."

"Is that even possible?" Franky asked.

"Damn you all, Straw Hats!" Duval shouted as he stood up.

Luffy assumed a battle position, "I've got this one, Vyse."

"Hold up, Luffy," Sanji said as he stepped back on shore and walked towards them.

"Nice to see you're doing well."

"I want you to leave this accusatory asshole...For ME to finish off!"

"'Finish me off' you say?" Duval raised two Harpoon Cannons, "Black Leg! I ain' gonda die! Not as long's you're still livin' and piratin'! My life of peace ain' never gon' come back! I'm da one who;s sick o' dem false accusations!"

"Shut up." Duval let his arms down, "I don't want to see that stupid poster face anymore then you!" Sanji said calmly, "That face shouldn't damn well even exist!"

"Then DIE!" Duval shot off both his cannons. Sanji gracefully dodged through them as he continued forward, eventually jumping up and kicking his face.

"Oeil! Nez! Joue! Bouche! Dents! Menton!"* he then threw about a dozen more kicks in at high speeds.

"Stop dis, please!"

"Parage Shot!" Sanji said as he threw in about a hundred kicks this time around, then threw him into a wall. "Have fun with your new face," Sanji said as he stood up, "You bastard."


	42. Chapter 43

(Sec 69) * * * * *

A little later...

"Head!? Head! Where are you!?" Duval's men called out as they emerged from the wreckage that was once their base. "HEAD!" One of them shouted as they spotted his half buried body. "Are you OK, Head!?" They gasped as the saw his face, "He's...This is terrible...He's a Complete Mess!" "Head, are you alive?" Duval started to sit up. "Head!"

Duval sat up completely, holding onto his face which was in terrible pain from the beating it took. "Dammit..." Duval stood, "I'd finally tracked down Black Leg and all..." Duval removed his hand, letting his men see his face, letting them gasp at what Sanji did. "Huh? What's wrong? Why're you all lookin' so surprise?"

"Head, please calm down, and have a look at this!" One man raised a small hand mirror up to Duval, who grabbed it and held it up to his face.

"T-This is...W-Wh-What the heck happened to me!?"

Elsewhere on the sea, the Straw Hats and Blue Rouges headed to the Shaboady Archipelago, sailing side by side, with Hachi's Takoyaki stand sailing in the middle.

"It's so good!" Luffy exclaimed as he ate three full trays almost at once. Everyone else was enjoying the Takoyaki that Hachi, Caimie, and Pappagg were cooking up for them, easting it slowly.

"Right?" Caimie asked as she filled a couple more trays with more Takoyaki, "Hacchin's Takoyaki is the best in the world, isn't it?"

"I can't stop eating it! I'm unstoppable!" Luffy said as he kept shoveling it down.

"This Takoyaki is great," Vyse complimented as he ate another one.

Luffy was going through the trays so fast, when his were empty, he reached for the nearest ones, still cooking on the grill. "AHHH!" Luffy shouted as he burned his hand, blowing on it to cool it off.

"It is really good," Sanji said as he studied one of his Takoyaki balls, "How does he bring out the taste of the sauce like this?"

"This is my first time eating Takoyaki, it's really good," Brook said with his mouth full, "I feel like my stomach is about to burst...but I don't have a stomach..."

"Eat as much as you like, today, it's on us!" Hachi said as he utilized his six arms to 4 dozen at once.

"These probably taste better then normal, since we were kinda hungry earlier while fishing," Vail decided to add.

"Hush up and eat," Drachma said as he steered Jack, "Free food always tastes better."

"It's free because it's our way of thanking you," pappaggi said as he coated a batch of Takoyaki balls.

"Here, These hav Dashi in them," Caimie said as she held up one tray, "And these have Mochi," she held up another tray, "They're hot, so be careful."

Hachi froze for a second, "So...what does she think? Nami, I mean..."

At the mere mention of her name, the Straw Hat men froze, nearly choking on the Takoyaki.

"Uh...well...? How's it taste?" Hachi asked Nami cautiously.

Luffy swallowed what he had in his cheeks.

".........It's not like I'll forgive you just because of this, you know."

"NYUUUU! Of Course Not!" Hachi exclaimed as he waved his arms around, "I just wanted to know what you think, honestly!"

Nami poked a forth one with the toothpick she had and blew on it to cool it off before she took a small bite.

"Nami...?"

Nami continued to blow on it while it was in her mouth, still a little hot before she swallowed. "It's really good!" She said as she turned and smiled towards Hachi.

"NYUUUUUU~!" Hachi said, tears in his eyes, "Really? Is that so? What a relief!"

The remaining Straw Hats swollowed what they had and gave a sigh of relieve.

"ALRIGHT!" Hachi exclaimed, "Fell free to eat as much as you want!"

"Just keep it coming!" Luffy said, "I'll eat it all!"

And so the two crews continued to eat and party until...

"HEY, You Guys~!" said a familiar voice in the distance.

"Hmm?" Vyse and Luffy looked out to where it was coming from.

"Young Masters~!"

"Who's that?" Piastol asked, slightly annoyed.

"That voice," Robin said.

"Wait! Wait! Don't leave without giving us a chance to say Thank You!" Said the Man riding Motobaro, followed by the Flying Fish Riders, all of which were on the waters surface.

"Who's that guy?" Luffy asked.

"I'm Handsome!...wait, that's wrong...It's Me! Duval! Hahahaha!" He said cheerily.

"Was that how his faced looked?" Luffy asked as he turned to Sanji.

"I altered his bone structure. He shouldn't have anything to complain about now, right?"

"Ah, Master Black Leg!" Duval said as he and his group slowed down so as not to pass them, "After you smashed my face in, we were all really surprised when I woke up! You've made me really handsome!" He finished as he looked into his hand Mirror. "I can't even recognize myself anymore! Now the adies will be crazy for me. I must say...It truly is a rosy life! I want to go back to my lazy country life as soon as possible...but if I left without showing you my thanks, I could never forgive myself! This is your first time visiting these parts, right? If there's anything we can help you with, just call us!" Duval tried to give a wink, but he still wasn't used to his new face, so it turned out more of an awkward smile.

"Don't wink if you're not used to it!" Sanji said as he took another bite of the free meal they were receiving, "As long as you're satisfied, That's good enough. Want to do us a favor? Don't bug us again..."

"Beautiful..." Duval said as he gazed into his hand mirror.

"Are you even Listening!?"

"I want to ride on a white horse..."

"Hey Listen!" "Head." "HEAD!" "Listen to what he's saying!" The Fishriders shouted, in hopes of saving their boss from another beating.

"Oh, that's right...What? I'm handsome?"

"I never even mentioned that word! You want me to undo my work and turn your Face back into that piece of crap!?"

Duval looked up and saw Nami, who was dabbing her mouth with a napkin. He snapped his fingers, pointing at Nami, "It is somewhat embarassing, but...I accept it! Your Fair Maiden Kiss~!"

"I wasn't doing anything like that! I was wiping off the Takoyaki!"

"Oh Mirror Mirror, who is the most handsome man in the world? Is it me?"

"You're only giving it ONE choice!?" the Riders outbursted.

"We get that your Handsome," Vyse said, "but your still an idiot."

Duval looked at them with a shocked look on his face, until he smiled a second later, "Jealous?"

"NO WAY!" Vyse said as he tried lunging at him, but Luffy quickly tied his ars around him to hold him back.

"Stay back, Vyse! You can't mach his craziness!"

"Wanna bet?" Aika asked as she ate another Takoyaki ball.

"Well then, young Master," Duval said as he handed a slip of paper to Sanji, "this is my Snail Phone number. Feel free to call me whenever you like! I'll definitely help you out when that time comes!" He tried winking again, "I really did cause you a lot of trouble, huh? I'm really so---rry!" He managed to blink one of his eyes.

"Stop winking already," Sanji, Vyse, Luffy and Usopp said simultaneously.

"See you later!" Duval said as he and his men turned away, "Let's go Rosy Life Riders!"

"YES, HANDSOME!"

"AH, I'm full!" Luffy said about 2 hours later, "I ate a lot! I think I'm in heaven!"

"Y-You ate 107 trays of this stuff," Vyse said, stunned, "I only managed 5."

"That was really good!" Usopp agreed with Luffy.

"I can't eat anymore," Chopper said as he passed out.

"Nyuuu-" Hachi said as he passed out, exausted from that massive amount of cooking, "As expected from the Straw Hat Crew. I wish I had Six More Arms."

"Good job, Hacchin," Caimie said as she scrapped the grill. She giggled, "They all seem satisfied!"

Hachi smiled, "Nyuu! Really? Then I'm satisfied too."

"What a fine afternoon," Brook said as he poured himself a cup of tea, "This is the first time I have eaten Takoyaki...I'm quite satisfied." He was about to take a sip, "Ah, excuse me," and with that let out a large belch.

Nami punched Brook across his face, "That was Too Dirty!"

"Hey!" Sanji called, "Octopus, Starfish, Caimie-chan! If you want a break, come onto the Sunny, I'll give you a cup of tea."

Hachi took a sip of his tea once the deck table was set, "That's some good tea."

Caimie opened up a map, "This is the course we're going to take. We're heading for the Saboady Archipelago."

"We can't get to Fishman Island without going there first?" Usopp asked.

"We could just Fly over the Red Line," Vyse suggested, "But I don't think the Little Jack is powerful enough to lift your ship."

"Don't forget," Aika added, "you seem to get into a lot of trouble when we're gone, and we're tired of missing all the action."

"Fishmen and Mermen can just dive down to get back," Hachi explained, "But since you're Humans, the pressure would crush you like a grape an kill ya!"

"Indeed," Franky said, "The Submarine couldn't make it that deep either," he put a hand to his chin, "How are we going to make it there?"

Pappagg chuckled, "Alright, pay attention now! It seems like you don't know anything...So I'll tell you a thing or two about these seas!" Pappaggi spun around a few times, but no one was listening, "HEY! Listen Up!" That got their attention, "To start with, there are actually two routes you can take to reach the New World! ONLY ONE is accessible for outlaws, like yourselves!"

"Why's that?" Luffy asked.

"You need the World Government's permission to go over the top, since you'd be dangerously close to Holy Land Mariejoa at its summit! No Pirate can go through like that!"

"Heh," Vyse chuckled, "like I said, we Blue Rouge COULD fly over it, but we're not getting separated again."

"So Route one is WALKING over the Red Line?" Chopper asked, "What about the ship!?"

Franky was taking a sip of tea during Pappaggi's explanation, "You'd have to leave it behind and get a new one on the other side."

Franky spit his tea out in disbelieve, "LEAVE THE SHIP BEHIND!?!?"

"Yup," Pappaggi answered shortly, "Getting permission takes both time and money, but it's the safest way over."

"Sounds like Entering Valua all over again," Drachma commented, remembering his first adventures with Vyse and Aika.

"HOWEVER!" Pappaggi continued, Franky looking up with hope, "The passage you all will be taking will allow you to get through, Ship and All! The Ocean Floor Route, Which goes strait by Fishman Island!"

"But the Ocean Floor Route is dangerous as well," Caimie added.

"What adventure isn't Dangerous?" Vail asked.

"There are plenty of people who are eaten, along with their ships, by Sea-monsters and Sea Kings," Caimie explained.

"That would be dangerous," Franky said as he crossed his arms.

"Both are crews are more then strong enough to get through," Vyse stated, "I'm pretty sure we've all faced worse in the past."

"I don't want to go to Fishman Island anymore," Chopper said after a sip of tea.

"Me neither..." Usopp added.

"Cowards," Aika said under her breath. Then something dawned on her, "Caimie, you just said 'ship and all', what ship can do that?"

"These ships!"

"Huh?" the Straw Hat crew asked, Vyse chuckling while the rest of the Blue Rouges smiled.

"This ship can't travel underwater!" Franky objected.

"And I know Little Jack can't," Vail said, knowing there must be a logical explination.

"Both will be fine! You see, inside of that Huge Wall, circling the globe, The Red Line, there's a Small Hole, but to us, It's HUGE."

"Fishman Island is in that Hole, Directly under The Holy Land," Hachi explained, "Just 10,000 meters under and it's right smack in front of ya! It's a nice place."

"Only 10,000?" Vyse asked, slightly disappointed.

Nami sighed, "Wasn't Skipea about 10,000 meter above the sea?"

Franky stroked his chin, "What do you mean 'Take this ship to the ocean floor'?"

"We're getting the ship coated at the Archipelago."

"Coated?" Franky and Drachma asked.

"You'll understand when we get there."

About an hour later, they had arrived.

"Wow, this place is Beautiful!" Kaya exclaimed.

"There seems to be something floating around it," Usopp observed.

"...Bubbles?" Vyse asked.

"This is...The Saboady Archipelago!" Pappaggi exclaimed.

"AWESOME!" Luffy said throwing his fists into the air, "There's tons of soap-bubbles floating around!"

"They just keep floating up, one after another," Usopp said.

"...Usopp...isn't this like one of the stories you told me?"

"Huh?" Usopp paused for a moment before he remembered, "That's right! HAHAHA! I raced around this Island on a bike that RAN on this mysterious Bubble power, and got First Prize!"

"AMAZING!" Chopper and Kaya exclaimed.

"Who's blowing them all?" Luffy asked Caimie.

"They're rising from the island itself."

"Just saying that doesn't really help..." Vyse stated.

"Pardon me for interrupting," Robin started, "but is the Log Pose alright?"

Nami quickly looked at the pose and took a sigh of relieve, "It's still pointing to Fishman Island, but," she turned to Hachi, "won't this change the course?"

"Nyu! You don't have to worry about that," he said crossing his six arms, "The Saboady Archipelago is just a bunch of trees. No Magnetic Field here."

"So this technically isn't a buch of small islands?" Piastol asked.

"Have you ever heard of Mangrove Trees?"

"Mangroves?"

"Ah," Sanji said, "you mean trees with roots that sink and emerge with the ocean ties, right?"

"That's right!" Hachi said, "Although the Mangroves here never sink. This Archipelago is the largest in the world. They call the trees here the Yarukiman* Mangroves"

"Pumped up groves?" Luffy exclaimed.

"In all, there are 79 trees, and all of them are like small islands," Hachi continued with his explination, "There are towns or other structures on each one."

"There are numbers written n the trees," Fina pointed out.

"Each tree has a number assigned to it, the one we're closest to is Grove 44, wich is the Civilian Entrance, so lets keep going."

After a short pause, Brook broke the silence, "Is that a bridge?"

"That's how each of the islands are connected. Hey, Grove 41! Drop anchor here."

"I'm setting foot first!" Luffy said as he jumped on the land.

"Second!" Vyse said, following Luffy.

"Don't forget the Number here!" Hachi said, "As stated earlier, all the islands are connected by bridges, so you shouldn't get lost to easily."

"Even so, there's only one guy who'll get lost," Usopp said as he Kaya and Chopper looked back at Zoro.

"Huh? What do you want?" The three of them turned around and let out a sigh. "WHAT IS IT!?"

A bubble formed at Luffy's feet and started to rise, "One just popped up from the ground!"

Luffy jumped on one, surprisingly it didn't burst, which gave Vyse an idea. He took out a couple of his blades and started the tornado of his Pirate's Wrath before stopping it, allowing it to bring a large bubble from the ground, "Would you like a lift, my love?" Vyse said, holding a hand out to Aika, who giggled and took his hand in reply.

Luffy continued jumping from one bubble to the next, getting higher.

"How do these soap-bubbles work?" Robin asked as the large group continued walking.

"These trees," Pappaggi explained, "secrete a unique kind of resin."

Robin squatted down and felt the ground, "oh, it's all sticky," she said as she wiped it off on Vail's pants.

"Don't wipe it off on me!"

"When the trees 'breathe out'," Pappaggi continued, "the resin is blown out as well, and forms these bubbles."

"So all of this is Natural?" Fina asked.

"HEY!" Luffy shouted from about 200 feet up, "I can see an amusement park over there!"

"LUFFY?" Usopp exclaimed, "When did you get so high up!?"

"Lets go ride the Ferris Wheel!"

"That's Sabaody Park," Caimie explained, "How nice, riding on that is my dream."

Luffy continued jumping upwards and looking around. "So high~!" The bubbles around him started popping left and right until his was the only one left. "They just disappeared!?" Luff's bubble popped out from underneath him. "GAAAAAHHHH!"

Vyse and Aika were just floating along, laying on the bubble Vyse made. "This is nice," Aika said, one of Vyse's arms holding her.

"I could float like this all day."

"GAAAAAHHHHHH~!" *CRASH!* Luffy not only landed on top of them, but he fell from such a great height, the bubble popped.

"Vyse, Aika, Luffy-chin! Are you alright!?" Caimie said as she started to hop over.

"Relax," Sanji said, "Luffy's a rubber man, you don't need to worry about him."

She looked over to see Luffy pulling his head out of the ground, "Wow, I'm beat!"

"Not yet you aren't!" Vyse said as he help Aika up.

"Why'd you have to burst our bubble like that?" Aika said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"So, Hachi," Vail started, "What's our next stop?"

"We need to find a Coating Mechanic and have him coat your ship with the Resin. Simply put, that will enable your ships to travel under the sea!"

"UNDER THE SEA! No place is Wetter! No place is Better then UNDER THE SEA!" Jones said as he and his crew popped out one air door and into another, causing an awkward silence.

"Seriously?" Franky and Drachma asked.

"Heh," Vyse said, "I've sailed in, over, and under clouds, above and on the sea. Going under sounds fun."

"It's the only way for Humans to reach Fishman Island. However, if an amature does it, The ship and everyone on it would be crushed by the water-pressure. I know one guy who's a trustworthy pro, so I'll take you to him."

"Octopus-san," Brook started, "You're such a nice fellow for helping us so much."

"In exchange," Hachi said, holding up his right hands, "I'd like you to make just a single promise to me."

"Sure, what is it?" Luffy asked.

"Once we enter the city, we might run into the World Nobles walking around there."

"Who're they?" Vyse asked.

"The citizens of the Holy Land, Mariejoa," Robin answered.

"What about them?" Luffy asked.

"No matter what might happen in the city...I want you to promise that you won't lay a hand on the World Nobles! Even if someone were to be killed...in front of your very eyes! Just pretend you didn't see anything!" Both crews had a horrified look on their faces. Vyse had a scowl on his. He didn't like the sound of the word Nobles, since his encounters in Upper Valua, back when it was divided into two halves. "I'll say it again...Just pretend you didn't see anything!"


	43. Chapter 44

(Sec 70) * * * * *

On the Little Jack, Drachma and Vail were making sure everything was well stocked as far as moon stones. It would be three day until both worlds would be one again.

On the Sunny Go, Franky, Usopp, and Kaya were emptying bottles of Cola into large barrels.

Sanji walked up to Franky and Usopp. He a puff of smoke, "Everyone else left for town, you're not going?"

"We used up all our cola in that battle back there," Franky said, holding up a bottle of cola, "Taking care of the ship IS my job after all."

"Of course, I wanted to help out as well!" Kaya said as she threw another bottle into the empty pile.

"Once we're done, we should all head out," Usopp suggested, "This island looks fun."

"Nah," Sanji protested, "I can't leave the ship until someone comes back."

"Why's that?" Vail asked.

"Because..." Sanji blow out another puff of smoke, "My beloved Nami-san said..."

(Earlier) 'This is a problem,' Nami said, "We have a ton of treasure stashed on board. Is there a Knight somewhere who can safeguard it?"

(Present) "It's me!" Sanji said with a thumbs up.

"You really would do anything Nami want you to, huh?" Usopp asked, unimpressed.

"I am a slave, Of Love!"

"There's no point if you admit it yourself..."

Zoro, who had apparently been sleeping, woke up, and jumped on land.

"OI! Zoro!" Usopp shouted after him as he walked away.

"Zoro-kun!?" Sanji yelled after him as well.

"Where are you going all by yourself?" Both asked simultaneously.

Zoro stopped and turned around, "For a walk. Arou-"

"STP IT!" Usopp shouted.

"DON'T! YOU'LL GET LOST, DAMN IT!" Sanji swore, "This is an ARCHIPELAGO, You Know!"

"We wouldn't be able to find you!" Usopp yelled.

"LIKE I'D GET LOST! Who'd get lost on an island like this, where the TREES are numbered, and can easily find your way? Even a kid with the poorest sense of direction could find his way!"

Usopp pounded his palm, "OHHH~! You thought THAT far ahead?"

"I didn't think of that," Sanji said, "Sorry! Be Careful!"

They both waved their friend good-bye, "Don't forget to ask for Directions!" Usopp suggested.

"They're going overboard," Zoro said under his breath. He turned around and looked at the number on the tree, which was half covered in a bubble. "As long as I don't forget the number on this tree...Number 1, right?" He chuckled to himself as he continued his walk, "Why do they keep looking down on me? Not a chance in Hell anyone can get lost around this island."

Grove 35-

"The World Nobles are also known as the Celestial Dragons," Hachi explained, now in a big coat with the number 8, but only had two sleeves, and had a big band-aid on his forehead. "They're really arrogant, and where a mask so they don't have to breathe the same air as everyone else."

"It's people like that that made Ramieriez turn," Fina said, a little upset.

"No matter what, don't try to oppose those guys," Hachi continued, "I need you to promise that! And there are several other things to look out for. Like I said, This island is where everyone who wants to go to the new World gathers. There are plenty of Big Name pirates like yourselves, and then there are Marines and Bounty Hunters trying to catch them. AND, even if pirates are taken away by Slave Traders, the law won't protect them. If you do ANYTHING to get yourselves noticed, they'll go after you instantly, so be Careful!"

"Relax, Hachi," Vyse said, "As I said earlier, anything they can throw at us, we can take on. I've gone up against the Angel of Death several Times and-"

"You should stop there," Piastol said, a mean grin on her face.

"The Marines around here shouldn't be taken lightly," Hachi continued, "These waters are close to the Navy HQ. Bounty Hunters are on a totally different level as well! ONE MORE THING!"

"Don't worry about it," Luffy finally said, "You're concerned with too much stuff. Hey, when did you get that wound?" Luffy pointed to his own forehead.

"Huh?" Hachi looked up, "Oh, don't worry about it. Caimie and I are 'not' a mermaid and a fishman, okay? While we're here, please pretend like we're 100% human."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Vyse said, "We got a talking raccoon on two legs and a living skeleton."

"I'm A Reindeer!"

Robin looked up at Caimie, before talking to her captain, "We should follow the customes of the Culture around here, Luffy. Let's just do as our large friend told us to."

A little later, Luffy was trying to put his head in a bubble.

"That's it, that's it! Slowly now," said a bike salesman.

"I'm in!" Luffy exclaimed, as he brought his arms in as well.

"How amusing!" Brook and Chopper laughed as they looked at their Captain.

Luffy hoisted the rest of his body in, "and none of the air is coming out!"

"Now," the salesman started, "how about putting THIS in?" He held up what looked like a bike.

"Like this?" Luffy said as he sat himself down.

"Is that about the right hieght?" the man asked, "Now you can ride around."

Luffy started pedaling, "OHH!"

"SO COOL!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Aren't they convenient? The Sabaody Archipelago's exclusive Bubble Bike!"

"Very impressive," Aika complimented.

"To rent is 500 beli per person, OR you can buy them at 1000 beli."

"We'll rent one," Hachi said.

"I'll buy one!" Luffy said, "I'll use my spending money!"

"Me too, Me too!" Chopper said as he chased Luffy around.

"Nyuuu. There's no point in buying one, just rent one."

"WHY SHOULD YO DECIDE THAT!?" Luffy argued.

"I'll tell you later. Renter, we'll rent three more of them."

"Shucks, you're a local, huh? Too bad."

Luffy kept riding his, Nami got one that sat on top of the bubble, letting Chopper ride in the basket, and Pappaggi in the bubble below the bike, Vyse took a triple seater for him, Aika and Fina, While Hachi got a Large Bike to hold the rest of the crew.

"This is so cool," Aika said as she pedaled.

"I feel like singing," Brook said as he brought out his violin.

"I'm definitely buying one of these bubble bikes!" Luffy said with his hands behind his head.

"Straw Hat, you rode the bubbles into the sky, right?" Hachi asked, "When you got above the trees, they all started popping. That's because you left the Archipelago's unique atmosphere. Because of the perfect climate here, these bubbles form, but once you leave here, the bubbles won't be able to stay strong enough to stay whole."

"So you should only buy these bikes if you live in the Archipelago?" Robin theorized.

"Yeah, when people who first come here often but one, but it's basically a rip-off."

"I don't buy that explanation at all!" Luffy said as he popped the top half of his body out of his bubble.

"You don't get it, do you?" Nami asked, "In short, when you leave the island, the bubble will pop. It's very mysterious."

"Whazzat!? They just mysteriously break!? Why didn't you say that the first time?"

"Ah, Luffy-chi, you can still use them at Fishman Island," Caimie explained, "We have soap bubbles on the ocean floor, too."

"I wanna go there soon~," Luffy said as he sat back in his bubble.

"In that case, you should meet the Mermaid Princess!" Pappaggi said, popping a portion f himself out of Nami's bubble, "She's so beautiful, I can't look away myself!"

"I look forward to that," Brook said, "But that's hard to do when...I don't have eyes. YOHOHOHO!" he looked towards Luffy, "Are you listening?"

"This looks good!" Luffy and Chopper zoomed over to a food stop.

"They're Grand Line Manjuus*!" said the salesman, "or Graman for short. Would you like to try some?" he held out a couple of plates as samples, which Luffy and Chopper started digging in immediately. "As you can see, it has 'Grand Line: First Half' written on it. The idea is to take it to the New World as a souvenir, of sorts. They'll last for three months, so you don't need to eat them all right now!"

"These are good!" Brook said as he finished a third souvenir plate, "May I open up another package?"

"Aren't you going to BUY any!?"

"There are a lot of Hotels here, aren't there?" Fina asked.

"Nyu. It's the living quarters of those waiting to pass through Mariejoa."

"It's easy to make these places. Just look there," Pappaggi pointed to one of the buildings, "They just coat the bubbles in a special alloy, and BAM, foundation is done."

"Huh," Vyse said, "Couldn't we use that to bring the bubbles with us?"

"It makes the bubbles solid and heavy," Caimie explained.

"Drat."

"AIKA!" Nami exclaimed, Isn't that a shopping mall!?

"Come back anytime!" the Graman man said.

Luffy chuckled as he carried six boxes of steamed buns, "Grasen...Grachco..."

"A keyholder!" Chopper said as he held one up.

"And a Pennant!" Brook said as he unfolded one.

"Hold onto those memories!" Pappaggi said with two thumbs up.

"Alright," Hachi said, "put those in the Bubble bag."

"Bubble Bag?" Hachi took them and stuffed them into a bubble. "OH! That makes it very light! Heh heh!"

Chopper looked around, "Where did Nami, Aika, Fina, Robin, Clara and Piastol go?"

"They went shopping at Grove 30," Vyse explained.

"So all we need is the Ship coating?" Gilder asked.

"Nyu. That's right. We're headed to Grove 31."

The ladies had taken Nami's and Vyse's bikes to go shopping.

"Even though we invited Caimie, the little dear would come with us," Clara pouted a little.

"She seems more careful since we arrived here," Nami observed.

"Perhaps there's some sort of bad history on the island?" Fina suggested.

Since they only had Hachi's and Luffy's Bubble Bikes, Vyse decided to go on foot, which was starting to become a bad Idea when Luffy and Chopper started racing against Hachi and everyone else on board his bike.

Hachi was in the lead, but Luffy was gaining speed. Thank god Vyse was in excellent sporting fitness, otherwise, he may not have been able to keep up as he zigzagged through the roots of the trees.

Hachi turned around to see Luffy wasn't there. "HA! Lost him!"

"Other side!" Luffy exclaimed as he passed. He popped his top half out of the bubble again, "YOSH! I'm in the lead!"

"Don't get Cocky!" Hachi said as he pedaled harder, "There's still a long ways to go!"

"You better catch up then!" Vyse shouted, making both Hachi and Luffy look forward to see Vyse had a considerable lead.

"How did this turn into a race!?" Chopper said as he hald onto the top of Luffy's bubble for dear life.

"How'd he get so far ahead!?" Luffy mummbled under his breath, until he noticed Vyse started slowing down.

"Uh oh. QUIKIA!" Vyse picked up the pace. "HA! Good luck catching this!"

Luffy herd some yelling up ahead, "Huh, what's all the commotion about?"

"I'm begging here! PLEASE! Get this collar off me! I just want to go home! Anything! A sword, an axe, a saw! I just want this damned thing off my neck! I won't hurt anyone!"

"Please," a woman said, "let go of me, I don't want to die."

The large man threw her away from him, "I've given up on going to the New World! I have a wife and kid back home! I'm begging you! PLEASE! Help Me! Last time I saw my son, he was just a baby! He doesn't even know what I look like! I'm Begging You!"

Luffy and Hachi rode up to the scene, which Vyse had already been watching.

"I wanna go home! I Wanna Go Home!"

"Don't get involved!" Hachi advised Luffy and Vyse, as well as their crews, "He's probably a pirate who was caught and sold as a slave...His owner must have brought him to this island and he made a break for it."

"Blue Rouge or Black Pirate, he still has a Family. I have to help him," Vyse argued back.

"But he Can't Escape!"

I ticker started on the man's collar, and his face went even paler then it already was. People started running away, getting plenty of space between themselves and the man.

"Damn This Ring! If I could only get it off my neck!"

Vyse felt something in his pocket, his first instinct was to reach in. He pulled out a blue cloak that matched his clothes, and a note.

'Use this if you want to save him. ~Jones'

Without giving it a second thought, Vyse wrapped the cloak around himself and realised it turned him invisible. He decided to wonder about that later as he ran at the man, undetected, and brought out the Curved Sky Fang. Making a quick movement, he sliced the neck brace off and it fell at the man's feet. The ticking was still going, so Vyse jumped back with the rest of his group, before taking the cloak off.

The brace created a huge explosion, so all anyone could see around the smoke was dust.

"SUPER NORO NORO BEAM!" Everything was frozen in time as Jones appeared in the smoke. He picked the man up and through him through an air door, then shape shifted himself as the man before time started up again.

Jones put on his acting face and started stumbling around, 'blood' dripping from his head and hands.

"Slaves always have those chains attached to their necks..." Hachi explained, unaware of what just happened, "if they try to take them off or run away, they'll explode!"

"Just-just let me buy some souvenirs and let me go home..." Jones said in a wheezy voice, "I've given up on being a pirate..." He gave a half laugh and a smile before collapsing.

"It's a slave who ran away!" "Don't get involved with him!"

"We have to help him!" Brook said.

"We promised not to get involved," Vyse said, arms crossed, trying not to tell them what just happened, at least not yet.

"Hacchin, what're we going to do?" Caimie paniked, "The Celestial Dragons are nearby!"

"Don't worry, Caimie. Straw hat, get out of the Bubble Bike."

"Why?"

"DON'T ARGUE! Just Do It!"

"Uh, sure..."

"They're here!" One person said as they got on their knees and bowed.

"Those are Celestial Dragons?" Luffy asked.

"You bow down too!" Hachi said as he made Luffy get on his knees.

"Why?"

"No matter what, don't look them in the eyes! You too!" Hachi said as he turned to everyone else.

"Right!" The whispered.

A dog with a bubble on his walked over to Jones smoking body. He turned around and started his business. 'The things I do for kindness' Jones thought.

"My, how vulgar, Saruu!" A woman said.

A man, his daughter(both Celestial Dragons), a guard, and a Beast man were walking towards the fallen slave.

"Oh no, Father, another one has been broken."

"Did you make sure to give him his tranquilizer everyday?"

"Why, yes, I did. However, it appears that it doesn't work on fools like this one. Would you please buy me a new one, father?"

"Your disciplining skills are truly terrible. You keep destroying my 'Captain Collection', one after another..."

"This one is certainly useless!" she said as she kicked him, "So, you meet your end amidst crying for family and growing boys? You are just a mere human!"

'Oh, how much I wish I could prove you wrong right now.'

"He can't even move anymore!" Luffy said through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry," Vyse whispered, "I can't explain now, but he's fine."

She held up a gun, aiming for a head shot, "You disgust me!" and fired two bullets.

"WHY THAT-" Luffy said in a hoarse whisper as he tried to get up, but Hachi and Vyse held him down.

"Luffy, Please!"

As the four people and dog walked away, "I'd like a giant slave next, father."

"You should start with a human child."

"But I detest the weak"

'Careful, lady! You're dangerously close to being beaten!'

"Don't do anything rash! Please!" Hachi said as he continued to hold Luffy down.

"Marines!" Chopper whispered.

"We should get out of here first," Gilder suggested.

"How about some tea?" Brook offered to Caimie, "It will help you calm down."

She shook her head, "I feel terrible."

"Think that guy'll be alright?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah," Vyse answered, "Jones swapped places with him. I imagine he's home right now, just thinking it was all a bad dream. But how come we couldn't help or attack?"

Pappaggi crossed his arms, "If you hurt a Celestial Dragon, an Admiral from Navy HQ and a fleet of battle ships will come here."

Everyone went slack-jawed. "Admiral..." Luffy started, "Akiji!?" he remember the Ice Man they met a while back.

"It could be Akainu or Kizaru as well. There's no way to tell who'd show up. HQ is right next to us after all."

"What makes the Celestial Dragons so special?" Enrique asked.

"They are all descendants of The Creators!"

"The Creators?"

"800 years ago, a group of 20 kings formed the organization now known as the World Government. Over the course of the centuries, they have come to abuse their incredible influence."

"The Celestial Dragons...I don't like them one bit," Vyse said.

"I agree," Enrique stated, "No one should abuse there power like this."

"It's them," One bounty Hunter said from the trees, "No mistaking it." He held up a wanted poster. "Monkey D. 'Straw Hat' Luffy, worth 300 Million Beli!" he shuffled through a few, "And this guy, who just came out of nowhere, Dyne D. 'Blue Rouge' Vyse, worth 280 Million!"


	44. Chapter 45

(Sec 71) * * * * *

"GUM GUM...PISTOL!" Luffy shouted as Bounty Hunters charged them, taking one of them out.

"Yohohoho!" Brook sang, as he continued to dodge a group of four sword-wielding bounty hunters trying to attack him.

"What is up with this skeleton guy? I'll cut you to piec-huh?" As the man tried to slash Brook, Brook used his amazing jumping skills to jump over the man, placing himself in the middle of the small group. Deciding now would be a good time to counter attack, he unsheathed his blade.

"You Ba-" another started to say as he lunged at Brook, only to be cut off by a slice to the back. Brook slice another guy across the chest, now positioning himself for a multi strike.

"Gavotte Bond en Avant!*" Brook Lunged forward, taking all four men out at once. As he slid to a stop, two more men charged him. He sliced the first up, giving the second to jump into the air. As he brought his sword down, point first, Brook moved his foot just enough so the guy missed. Brook countered with a sheath to the gut, knocking the man down.

"This guy is really fast, be careful" one of the four bounty hunters advised as they surrounded Vyse.

Vyse had his Vlorik Blades out. He waited until one of them attacked him. The one behind him was unlucky number one as Vyse took his Left Cutlass and spun around, catching his opponent's blade, then threw him over his shoulder into a second guy. He smacked a third guy with the broad side of his Right Cutlass before facing his last opponent. He looked at the man's belt, "No way!" He sheathed one of his blades, grabbed the posters the man had with his now free hand, then sliced up his enemy before he had time to react. Vyse shuffled through the posters, "LUFFY! I have a bounty now!" Vyse exclaimed with glee, "Wow, this is a lot bigger then my last one."

"COOL! I want to see it later!" Luffy said as he continued to punch and kick various bounty hunters.

Chopper roared as he took three large bounty hunters at once.

Gilder chuckled as several ran at him, "Come on," he said, holding up his two guns, "Dance for me," he laughed as he shot a barrage of bullets at his opponents, none of them able to stand up to his gunfire.

"DAMN! Why're these guys so strong!? If they're all like this, that girl must be the only one..." The hunter stopped mid-sentence as he smiled about his new prey.

Hachi was doing what he could with two blades, as to not ruin his disguise as a human when he heard his friends scream. "Oh NO! Caimie! Pappaggi!" Hachi made fast work of his enemy and then ran to help his friends.

"Come here...!"

"ROYAL BLADE!" Enrique shouted as he went through the large bounty hunter several times, stopping him in his tracks.

"GUM GUM...BAZOOKA!" Luffy said as he made the final blow, launching the man into a tree. "YOSH, are you OK?"

"Sorry about that, guys," Hachi apologized.

"A gentleman like myself is more then happy to help," Enrique said as he sheathed his sword.

"Thank you both, Luffy-Chin, Enrique-Chin."

"You guys done?" Luffy asked.

"Yup!" Vyse said as he put his blades away.

"This is awesome!" Luffy said as they continued their bubble bike ride to Hachi's Friend's place. "This bounty is impressive for your first one. 280 million?"

"Technically my second," Vyse corrected, "My first was created when Vize the Imposter was going around, and gave me a bounty of 20,000 gold."

"That's lame! Most bounties are in the millions! Mine was 30 million beli."

"Damn it, what incredible strength," one man said, "I guess 280 and 300 million is out of our league..."

"Even so, there are still other incredible catches gathered here," another tried to reason, "But if only we could have gotten one of them."

"Wait, that girl," the first started again, "she's probably a..." he laughed as he struggled to get himself up, "I just got a good idea."

"This place looks suspicious," Chopper said as they entered a run down part of town.

"Nyu, The Archipelago is vast, so there are places people can do shady things. The Marines don't go into the interior," Hachi handed a map over to Brook.

"Hmm?"

"This shows how the groves are classified, by the tens. It may not resolve anything, but there are many places like this. Where we parked, Zone 40, is a part of the Tourist Zone. Zone 30 is the amusement park and other entertainment can be found. Zone 60 is where Marine HQ is at on this island."

"So where are we now?" Vyse asked.

"Lets see, we're passing Grove 16. Groves 1-29 are known as the Lawless Zone. That's why there are so many bounty hunters here."

"YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SO EARLIER!" Chopper yelled, "Then I could have gotten Zoro or Sanji to come instead of me!"

"Don't worry," Hachi said calmly, "Our goal, Grove 13, is up ahead! The shop is built on one of the roots," he let out a sigh, "I haven't been here for ten years."

"Is this engineer a merman, too?" Luffy asked.

"Pappaggi and I have never met him, But we heard he's a really great person."

"Oh well, we'll know when we meet him soon."

"GAH!?" Vyse and Enrique said as the reached the shop and read the sign. "Shakki's Bottakuri** Bar!?"

"Hachi," Pappaggi started, "this place gives a rip-off vibe."

"Not to worry, they're good people," Hachi explained, "He's a friend from my childhood," Hachi looked at the door, "Seems like they're still open for business..." He opened the door and called out his friend's names, "Rayleigh, Shakki."

"Welcome," Shakki said, holding a man by his collar, as he couldn't use his own power to stand after the beating he just took. "What can I do for you? MY! Don't tell me it's Hacchan!?" Her face lit up with a smile, "Long time no see!"

"Nyuu~ sorry it's been so long, Shakki," Hachi rubbed the back of his head.

She thought for a moment, "That's right! It's already been about 10 years!" She looked at the rest of the group he was with, "please, have a seat. I just need to finish extorting exorbitant charges out of these jumps." They looked at the floor, seeing there was a couple more guys on the ground.

"Nyuu~, take your time."

As she continued to beat the man she was holding, Pappaggi's, Chopper's, and Caimie's faces kept getting more frightened by this woman's brutality.

"So," she asked after she tossed the three men out, "You gave up being a pirate?"

"Nyu. Yeah, so much happened."

"Good for you. Honest is the way to go," Shakki looked at Caimie, "Not often one sees a mermaid above water. Could you be Hachi's lover?"

Caimie blushed as she freaked out, "N-No way... I-I could ne-Never claim to be his b-br-bride or anything..."

"You're over reacting," Pappaggi said, trying to calm her down.

"We're running a Takoyaki stand," Hachi explained.

"Oh, is that so. AH! Of course, would you all like some drinks?" She looked over to Luffy and Brook, who decided to help themselves.

"Ah, Shakki-san, these beans are very tasty, aren't they?"

"Rifling through the fridge like its your own home!?" Pappaggi shouted, "And why aren't you stopping them!?" He yelled as he turned to Vyse and his friends.

"We're partners, not like I'm his dad."

"Go, ahead, do what you want. Here, I'll even give you a treat."

Chopper sniffed the air, "COTTEN CANDY!?"

"Here you go," Shakki said as he started digging in, "Right, that'll be 10,000 beli."

Chopper's happiness turned to sadness as tear welled up in his eyes, "I...I don't have that much money..."

"I'm sorry," Shakki laughed as she patted Chopper's hat, "I was joking, I don't take money from Hachi's friends."

"Really!?" Chopper said, a smile on his face.

"Obachan," Luffy said with a mouth full of meat, "How'd you know Chopper's favorite food?"

"Why, you're Monkey-chan's crew, aren't you?"

"You know about me?"

"But of course, you're a hot topic. I'm a well informed sort of person," she said as she went behind the counter, "I have to admit," she leaned in front of Brook, "I hadn't heard you had a skeleton in your crew, Or that skeletons could move at all."

"Ah, a good question. I am 'Dead Bones' Brook. I hope we get along."

"Me too." After getting Luffy to sit down in front of the counter, "So, how much of the Enis Lobby incident is True?"

"I'd be boring to go over all the details," Luffy said as he sipped some tea.

"Not one to boast? I'm impressed. Though, you have the same name as Garp in the Marines?"

"Yeah, He's my grandpa."

"Thought so, he used to chase after me in the past when I was a pirate. I gave up on all that 40 years ago," she turned her attention to Vyse, Gilder, and Enrique, "I must admit, I don't know who you are."

"Not too surprising," Vyse said, "We're from Arcadia."

"Ah, I've read about that."

"YES! Finally! Someone other then royalty knows!"

"Jones!" Vyse shouted, "would you stop popping in and out like that?"

Jones came out from one of the shadows, "but it's so FUN. Plus, I have a new spell to show off all your adventures and exploits."

"Who are you?" Shakki asked.

"I am Davy D. Jones, Brother of Gol D. Roger, The Pirate King and The Great Air Pirate of Arcadia, Daccat," Jones looked at his wrist, "Whoa, look at the time, I'm late!" and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"He's certainly a strange character," Shakki said after a small silence.

"You don't know the half of it," Vyse stated as smacked his palm to his forehead.

"Nyuu~, Shakki, I brought the-"

"Don't bother, I know what your're going to say," She turned to Luffy, "Now days I help rookie pirates like yourselves. I'm sure you all went out of your way to come here and get your ships coated, correct?"

"Amazing detective skills," Gilder said as he took a swig of beer from his mug, "You even guessed we had more then one ship."

Shakki turned to Hachi, "So you're basically here with a job for Rayleige, yes?"

"Nyuu~, That's right."

"A shame he's not here."

"He's not here?" Luffy complained, "But I really want to go to Fishman Island!"

"Not to worry, he's still on the Archipelago somewhere. You should search the Bars and Gambling Houses."

"Why not wait until he returns here?" Enrique asked.

"I'm sure he'll be back one day, thought he's been gone for six months now."

"HALF A YEAR!?" the six men shouted.

"I suppose he finds women and goes bed surfing here and there. I'm not too worried about his health. But when he goes off, he just doesn't come back for a while. I guess that's how former Pirates are."

"This is a bit of a fix," Brook stated, "If he's not here, we'll have to go search for him. Any idea where to start?"

"He's likely within groves 1-29."

"Not...the lawless zone..." Chopper said with a quiver.

"He was a notorious pirate, and wouldn't be able to relax with marines around. But if he's anywhere else at all, he'd be most likely at the Amusement Park."

"LET'S START THERE~!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Whenever you start your look, I suggest you stay on your guard. With your arrival here, that makes a total of eleven people with bounties exceeding 100 million on the Archipelago."

"If you don't know about me, or my crew," Vyse started, "That actually makes 13." He placed the wanted posters he got earlier and put them on the counter. "I have a bounty of 280 Million, My wife, Aika has a bounty of 110 million, and then Fina has a bounty of 70 million."

"That's quite impressive."

"There are 13 people here with bountie over 100 million!?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah, but four of them are myself, Aika, Luffy and Zoro"

"Which means there are nine others," Shakki said, "When you first entered the Grand Line, you chose one of seven paths leading from the entrance. I trust you followed that Log Pose exactly all the way here?"

"We had a detour here and there, but we mostly did," Luffy explained.

"Well, Naturally there are people who traveled the other six routes, Going through many dangers just as you all have, also making their way here. No matter which route you take, in the end, you'll run into the Red Line. In order to get past that wall, everyone has to come here, to the Archipelago. Any and all rookies who've come this far all end up meeting at this one point. It's not something to take lightly. Especially with 'Kid', 'Luffy', 'Hawkins', 'Drake', 'Law'...These names have been all over the papers for quite some time."

"I don't read the papers," Luffy stated.

"I haven't been around long enough to subscribe to one," Vyse said, unaware of how the News system works.

"You know, Knowledge is power, don't you?" Shakki chuckled, "Shouldn't you at least know the names of your rivals? If we're going by Bounty Level, Luffy's number two."

"There's someone better then Luffy!?" Chopper yelled.

"How high your bounty is means nothing," Vyse said, "If I went by that, there would have been lots of people I thought were stronger then me."

"Who and where is this guy!?" Chopper continued, not comforted by Vyse's words at all.

Meanwhile, on Grove 24, at one of the Restaurants, one of the Super Novas was eating to her hearts content, causing the other diners to be a little unsettled.

"What a Vulgar Girl," Said a second Super Nova, "You're making the food taste terrible. Why don't you come over here?"

"Not a good Idea, Captain!" said one of his subordinates, "If we cause a commotion here, this close to Marine HQ, we-GAHHH!"

The Nova had stabbed his own man with a fork.

"Cabone Gang Bege, 138 Million Beli," Shakki explained.

"FOOD! Give me more food!" The Female Nova said as she scarffed down what must have been her 58ths.

"They're making as much food as fast as they can, captain."

"THEY'RE NOT WORKING FAST ENOUGH! I want Pizza! More Meat!"

"'Big Eater' Jewelry Bonney, 140 Million Beli."

"W-We're bringing more now!" said one of the waiters as he left with a large plate with a small amount of food on it. He accidentially bumped into another pirate and fell backwards, "I'm so sorry!"

"WHY YOU!" The man helled as he unsheathed his blade from his back.

"Stop it," said the man's captain in a monotonous voice.

"Why, captain? I have spaggetti all over my clothes because of him!"

He looked at a card, "That was the fate of those cloths. It's going to be a cruel and unlucky day for us."

"'The Magician' Basil Hawkins, 249 Million Beli."

Also at Grove 24, at a Bar not too far away, another Super Nova just finished a swig of beer. "Who's that airhead?" He asked one of his crew.

"Ah, that's the Roar of the Sea."

Roar of the Sea looked up to see he was being stared at, and flipped the guy off. The man stood, and an explosion took place, literally. The second Nova backflipped out of there, then assumed an unusual fighting stance, since he had two elbows on each arm. "If you wanted a fight, you should have waited on the other side of the wall! Don't you know how strong I am?"

"'Roar of the Sea' Scratchman Apoo, 198 Million Beli."

"If that's so, stop staring at me. You disgusting bastard," he pulled a knife out from the holster across his chest, "If you want, I can stop now."

"Eustass Captain Kid, 315 Million Beli."

At Grove 21, another event was taking place.

"The Monk's gone wild!" one civilian said as hoards of people ran away from the destruction that was perusing.

'Monk' was fighting another Nova as a third and forth watched. As they were about to strike each other, a third stepped in. "Go Wild, towards the New World!"

"'Red Flag' X Drake, 222 Million Beli."

"Ah," Monk said as he and his opponent stood down, "Former Marine Officer Drake, huh?"

"'Mystery Monk' Urouge, 108 Million Beli."

"That was a narrow escape from death, Mask Guy."

"'Massacre Man' Killer, 162 Million Beli."

As Drake walked away, he passed the other Nova that was watching, "And I was having such a nice time...Drake! How many people did you kill?"

"'Dark Doctor' Trafalgar Law, 200 Million Beli."

Back at Grove 31, Shakki continued her explanations.

"The innumerable pirate crews who came into the Grand Line at the entrance have been cut down to a much smaller number, only the strong, wise, and determined are allowed to continue."

"So the Grand Line is more like a Tournament of Survival, the prize being One Piece."

"Precisely. Every Pirate that's made it this far has proven to be the best of the best; the Elite Chosen Few. Any one of them, including you two, could be the pirate that can mature into the one that will inspire future generations of pirates. At any rate, with all these rookies swarming in, there's going to be a mark left on the New World, no doubt about that. The reason Kid has a higher bounty then you two is probably because he's done a lot of damage to civilians. Not cute at all, right?"

"A black Pirate if I ever heard one," Gilder said.

"That's why I'm rooting for Monkey-chan's crew."

"You'll want to root for Vyse as well, then," Enrique said, "He wishes to help Luffy find it."

"Just for the Adventure," Vyse said, so as not to give the wrong impression, "If you see Jones again, he'll be sure to fill you in on what's going on."

"Well," Luffy said, "for now, all my crew and I want to do is relax and have fun," Luffy let out a laugh, "but one thing bugs me. If the city is so wild, I'm worried about the coating guy."

"My guy'll be fine," Shakki laughed, "He's a 100 times stronger then all of you."

"100..." Chopper started.

"Times...?" Brook manage to stutter.

"I sincerely doubt that," Vyse said, "But I guess we won't find out, since we're not looking for a fight," he finished off his beer, "let's find him already."


	45. Chapter 46

(Sec 72) * * * * *

Somewhere in the Lawless Zone...

"We never thought they were that strong," the Large bounty hunter said as he bowed to the feet of his boss.

"That's troublesome...So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"Peterman-san, I'm pretty sure the girl with 'Strawhat Luffy' was a mermaid. When I went for her the first time, she panicked and fell down. When she hit the ground, her shoe popped off. That was no foot, that was definitely a fin!"

Peterman's eyes went wide as his already big smile grew even wider, "Is that so...? But if she's hanging around with a big guy like that, this could be tricky. BUT, a mermaid walking on Dry Land is the chance of a lifetime! Catching them in the water is next to impossible. This is an excellent piece of information you've given me! As payment, you will receive 10% of the final selling price. Sound Fair?"

"Ah...," the second bounty hunter said, "if possible, we really need 20-"

"HMMMM!?"

"NO! 10% is fine! Absolutely fine!"

Back at Shakki's Bar...

"Are you on, Chopper?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah!" Chopper said as he stuck himself in the top of Luffy's Bubble bike.

"Well then, Take care, you guys!" Shakki said, deciding to give them one last piece of information, "The Marines are, of course, at the very least aware that there are some big-name rookies here on the Archipelago."

"H-H-How d-dangerous," Brook stammered, "I suppose they could come after us without the slightest warning..."

"But I wouldn't worry too much," Shakki continued, "I don't know if this is some kind of 'Rookie's Luck' or what, but right now, Marine HQ has their hands full with another matter to the point that they probably won't have the resources to bother with much else."

"Nyuu?"

"So as long as there isn't any kind of major incident, I doubt the Marines will pay much attention to you. Basically, don't go make a major scene."

"Ah, okay!" Luffy agreed, "Thanks for the Info and food! We'll be off then!"

After the group left, Shakki had one more thought, "It would be good if you actually found him," she chuckled.

"You guys check Sabaody Park," Vyse said, "Me, Enrique, and Guilder will check around the Lawless Zone."

"YOSH! Works for me!"

"I saw a few good bars at Grove 24, should we check there first?" Gilder asked.

"Sounds like a good starting point to me," Enrique agreed.

And so our heroes separated to find the coating engineer. Luffy's group played at the Sabaody Amusement Park, riding roller coasters, elevator drops, merry-go-rounds, haunted houses, ferris wheels, and of course, all the carnival food they could eat.

As Vyse and his two friends arrived at Grove 24, they saw all the people were bowing.

"Oh no," Vyse said, "not the Celestial Dragons again."

Sure enough, there was another one, strutting around the Lawless Zone without a care, Riding one slave, followed by his butler, three guards and two of his wives. Vyse didn't realize that five of the Super Novas, Jewelry Bonney, Gang Bege, Basil Hawkins, Scratchman Apoo, and Urouge, and their crews were watching the scene from the shadows around the area.

"Shalulia and Father..." the Celestial Dragon said, "They left me behind," he sniffled, "Where on earth could they have gone to?" he cried.

"We know their ultimate destination," his butler said, "so there is no need to worry."

The man looked down, furious with his slave, he started kicking his head, "YOU! It's all because you walk slower than a tortoise!"

"Grr!" Enrique was about to step in when Vyse and Gilder held him back, "It's a slave, we can't do anything about that."

"And you sway as well, which makes thi most uncomfortable! You irritate me! You Irritate Me!" The man only stopped his kicking when he saw two doctors and a nurse carrying a man in a stretcher.

"HEY! You people! Wait one moment!" They froze in their tracks, "WHY are you moving, in MY presence, You lowly humans!?" He got off his slave and walked towards them, throwing his ice cream cone, hitting one of the civilians.

"M-My deepest apologies," the balding doctor said, "Please forgive us this small rudness! This man is bleeding heavily! This is a battle against time, and the hospital is right here.

The Celestial Dragon looked down on the man, "You're right! How Terrible! This must be dealt with as quickly as possible." He raised his foot, "So let me give him a hand!" as he was about to kick the stretcher, more then likely injuring the man further, Enrique bolted, rapier drawn. He caught the heel of the man's shoe and raised it up, making him fall backwards onto the sticky ground.

The man laid their, stunned that someone would attack him. HIM! A Celestial Dragon. He sat up to look at the complete idiot who's life would be a living hell for the rest of his life, "Do you know the penalty for a commoner attacking me, a Celestial Dragon!?"

"Yes, I do know," Enrique said as brought his rapier to his side, "But, I am no commoner."

"Surly you can't be a Celestial Dragon like myself," the man said as he stood up.

"No, I am not one of you."

"Then you are a lowly commoner!"

"No, I am Emperor Enrique, Head of Valua, one of the four Countries in Arcadia."

The people, even the Warlords stared in amazement.

"Emperor of...Valua...? HA! what a bunch of rubbish! No place exists!"

"Uh, sir, with all due respect, the World Government has been sending word out of such a place existing. In fact, their world will join with ours in a few days."

"Is that so? Then I will make sure we Declare WAR on the Skies!"

Enrique brought his blade very close to the man's bubble, "How well can you do something, if you're dead? I've seen your kind before. Rich & Powerful because of your ancestors doing! Valua used to be FULL of people like you. You know what happened because of their greed!? They turned one of their own generals into a monster hell bent on ruling the world, and that same man nearly wiped out his own people to set an example!"

"So you're the ruler of almost nothing!? HAHAHAHA!"

"That dark time has passed, Valua is prospering now, but That's Not The Point! You Celestial Dragons had better change your ways, or terrible things will begin to happen to not only you, but everyone else around you." Enrique rose, sheathed his sword and walked away after making sure the doctor and his team had helped the poor man.

The Celestial Dragon got back on his feet after a moment, and decided he shouldn't have been treated that way. He rose a gun up and fired at Enrique's back. Vyse jumped in front of it, blocking it with the broad side of his Vlorik Blade, before darting forward and bringing his swords dangerously close to the man's neck.

"If I were you, I'd stop now, while you still have a head on your shoulders."

"A-and who the hell are y-you!?"

"I'm King of the Blue Rouges, and a friend of Enrique there," Vyse brought his blades down, "I'd leave before you make a fatal mistake...a very, fatal mistake."

The Dragon just stood there, completely stupefied at what just happened, TWICE. He made sure that Enrique and Vyse were gone before he even took a step back to his Slave Rider. As he was about to take a step, he saw a man, three katana on his belt, walking as he drank a bottle of beer. He stood there in awe that an actual commoner was moving in his presence, again!

Zoro was about to take another drink from his beer when he noticed he was being stared at by some bubble headed guy. "What's with you? You need directions or something?" Completely dumbstruck at Zoro's stupidity, he decided he should put him out of his misery and kill him. He shot several times, but Zoro was swift and kept dodgeing, making his way closer to his attacker.

The Super Novas had snapped out of the trance they were in when Vyse and Enrique were on the scene.

"Woah, WOAH!" Apoo said, "What's he trying to pull!?"

Zoro drew his blade and was about to slice the Dragon in half, when a kid sized version of Bonney jumped towards him, sending him away from making a grave mistake.

'Huh? A Brat!?' Zoro thought.

The Celestial Dragon snapped out of his triggerhappyness and looked at where Zoro and the little girl had landed.

"Onii-Chan~! Why are you dead~!? Onii-chan~!" Zoro raised his head, feeling some fluid on his face. "Just stay still, Onii-chan..." Bonney whispered in her normal voice, "Wah! WAHH! ONII-CHAN~! You went up against the tenryuubito-sama? Then of course you were going to die!"

"Did I hit him?" the Dragon asked, "I had the feeling he kept dodging...I must have imagined it. Well, if he's dead, then no matter," He walked back to his ride and headed off, "I...I think I need to lie down."

A little later, after the Dragon had surly left;

"Why did you get in my way?" Zoro asked as he sat up, wiping his head.

"Don't talk to me like that, you useless ingrate!" Bonney shouted, "Whet the hell were you trying to pull, huh? Were you trying to send an Admiral to this island!?"

"Huh?" Zoro said, half listening before he looked back at his hand, "Tomato juice?"

"If you're a pirate, you should be able to recognize fellow pirate when you see 'em, right!? Don't cause us anymore trouble!"

"Trouble?" Zoro said looking at Bonney for the first time, "You..." he looked around, "huh? You weren't a brat at all?"

"Were you even listening to me!? Is there something wrong with your head?"

"I don't seem to be hurt..."

"Dumbass! I'm talking about INSIDE your head! You're an idiot! In and Out idiot!"

"It seems that thanks to Jewlery Bonney," Bege said, "disaster was averted in the nick of time."

"That man is Pirate Hunter Zoro of the Strawhat Pirates," one of his men explained.

"I've certainly heard that they're a crazy crew, but to draw a sword against a Dragon? He truly is insane."

"Naturally he was saved," Hawkins said, "I see not the shadow of death upon him today."

"That punk," Apoo said, "for a moment there, he was giving off an immense killing intent. Such a beast."

"Only the first mate," Urouge said, "yet he has a bounty of 120 Million. He certainly doesn't seem like the type to serve under another. I suppose that speaks volumes about the captain..."

After arguing with Bonney for a while, Zoro got up and continued on his afternoon walk, and to find another bottle of beer.

Back at the Sunny Go, Drachma, Vail, Franky, Usopp, Kaya, and Sanji were all having a cup of tea, having a small party while their friends were away.

"So I was just looking at the city," Sanji started, "and I saw this weird, flting bike-thing made out of a bubble!"

"I saw that!" Kaya exclaimed.

"Those look fun!" Usopp added, "We should totally buy one!"

"We'd have to try 'em out," Vail said, "see if they're any good first."

"Hey, I think your phone is snailing," Drachma laughed, deciding a beer was a better drink.

"Ah!" Sanji said as he got up, "Maybe it's Nami-san!" Sanji picked up the phone inside the kitchen, "Hello~! Nami-swan~!"

"Hello!? It's me! It's Me, Chopper!"

"Huh?"

"Uh, There's lots of kinds of icecream here! We couldn't decide!"

"Oi, what's got into you all of a-"

"Is that Sanji!? It's absolutely terrible! What should I do!?" Chopper started crying, making the snail phone shed tears as well.

"Okay, okay! Calm down and explain. What happened?"

Chopper sniffed a couple of times to calm himself, "Caimies been..."

"Is everything alright, Sanji?" Usopp said as everyone followed him into the room.

"CAIMIE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED!"

"What did you say!?"

"WHAT!?!?"

"It must have been one of those kidnapping groups!" Chopper continued, "I don't know why, but apparently they sell Merpeople and fishpeople even if they're not bad guys! Caimies going to be SOOOOOOLD! She's gonna be a slave for the rest of her life! It's all our fault! There are TONS of human shops on the Archipelago, so we have no idea when or where they'll try and sell her! We don't even know who it is that got her! The Archipelago is just too big! But if we split up-"

"Stay where you are. Tell me where you're at."

"WHAT!? Bu-"

"We're dealing with kidnappers, we need some help from pros in the area!"

"But...who're you going to call?"

"GHOST BUSTERS!" Jones said as he popped in and out.

Sanji completely ignored him, "I'm calling the Flying Fish Riders!"

"EH!?"


	46. Chapter 47

(Sec 73) * * * * *

Sanji put out what must have been his third pack of cigarettes, "Damn, he's late," he lit up another one.

"Young master!"

"Finally, he's here."

"Yahoo~! It's Handsome! Oh, I got it wrong. It's Duval!"

"And his cronies!"

"Now what can I do for you, Master Black Leg?"

"Aren't you late!?" Sanji shouted, "You stupid 'Flying Fish Riders'!"

"Oh, come now, young master, We're the 'Rosy-Life Riders' now, you know~?" He tried once again to wink.

"WHO CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE CALLED!?" Sanji took a deep breath, "Anyways, the mermaid was kidnapped. So we need your expert help."

"Eh? Have the Kidnappers appeared?" Duval asked?

"What a whole lot of bastards!" his cronies shouted.

"Weren't you guys one of those Kidnapping gangs, too!?" Usopp yelled.

"This is what we call 'it takes a thief to catch a thief'!" Vail said.

"Will you lend us you powers!?" Frank asked.

"But of course! We're honored to be of service!"

"Thank you very much!"

"Are you sure about them?" Kaya asked.

"Incidentally," Duval started, "I, Handsome, went to visit a town where there were lots of women."

"...So...?" Sanji asked.

"I WAS!...Less of a hit then I had imagined..." Duval slumped, depressed.

"I can fix your face, but I can't fix your personality."

"But don't mind!" Duval said, springing right back up, "I accept your mission, young master! I just have to find the mermaid before she gets sold, right?"

"Right. You guys know everything about this 'Sabaody Archipelago', don't you?"

"But of course," Duval said as he flung his hair, "These waters are like the back of our own hands for us! You won't have to worry about a thing! Now hop on!"

Sanji hopped on Motobaro with Duval, Franky jumped onto Flying Fish 18, while Vail offered to find Vyse and take his Flying Board. "Kaya," Usopp asked, "Can you stay here with Drachma? I think he's too drunk." They both looked at him.

"Yo ho, Yo Ho! A pirates life for me!"

"I'll stay, Usopp."

Usopp gave Kaya a hug then jumped onto Flying Fish 5.

"So where do you want to start searching?" Sanji asked.

"Young master, Did you know that each group has a different way to operate? I have a fair Idea of what group we're after. First, we're going to need to pick up the rest of you crew and friends. As soon as we're done with that, We're going after the Kidnapping Gang that got your friend! Let's Go, Men!"

"YEAH!" One by one they all bolted out of the water. Time was of the essence.

"Yosh, I'm coming to save you now, Caimie-chan! Duval, make this thing go faster!"

Duval laughed, "Young master, Motobaro is going at his full speed already."

"Good, let's go full speed ahea-WHAT!?" Sanji shouted as they went a blistering five miles an hour, "THIS is full speed!?"

"Let's~GO~!"

At Sabaody Park, a little earlier, Chopper had just hung up with Sanji. "Luffy, Sanji told us to-"

"CAIMIE~!" Luffy, Hachi, and Pappaggi yelled as Luffy peddled Hachi's bike at his top running speed.

Chopper was pacing around, slightly paniced, "I really don't think it's a good idea to get split up at a time like this, Right Brook?"

Brook took a sip of tea, "Hm?"

Chopper ran over to him, "How are you so stupidly relaxed!? That's just crazy! Caimies been Kidnapped, you know!?!? If she gets sold, she's gonna be somebody's slave for the rest of her life!"

"Yohohohoho~," Brook chuckled, "But Chopper-san, Sanji is sorting everything out, and he told us to just stay put. Does it really matter if we worry or relax while we wait for him?"

Chopper gasped, "I see."

"Even if we worry, the time won't speed up. Since we're waiting anyway, let's relax."

"Oh~! I see!"

"BOSS!" Rider 5 said, "We've arrived at Sabaody Park!"

"Gather up all the Strawhats and Blue Rouges one by one, and make it snappy!"

"Yessir!"

"There they are!" Usopp said as the flew over the park, "Two of them on that bench near the Ice Cream," The rider swooped down to drop Usopp off to grab his friends. "Hey, you guys! We're here to pi-EH~~!?" Usopp said as he tripped and fell at what he just saw. "And WHAT the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"Ah," Brook said as he drank a cup of tea upside down, "Usopp-san came to pick us up."

"Luffy and the others went somewhere," Chopper said casually as he nibbled his cotton candy, "But we're staying put, like we were told to."

"YOSH!" Usopp shouted after they were back in the air, "It's time for operation 'Take Caimie back no matter what'!"

"Full speed ahead! Off we go!" Brook shouted

"I-I got scolded y'know, Brook," Chopper sniffled, his head still hurt from Usopp's beating.

Brook thought for a moment, "Wait! I take it back, I take it Back! YOOOOOOOO~!" Brook held on for dear life as the bolted through the air on the search for everyone else.

"We need to check out all the known kidnapping gangs! We can narrow our suspects that way! Split up!"

"Go forth, my Rosy-Life Riders!" Duval instructed over his snail phone, "This is a race against Time!" He hung up, "This should be enough."

"It's not enough at all!" Sanji shouted as he lightly kicked Duval in the back of the head, "What's up with this bull!? If I knew, I'd have gone with one of the fish!"

"Eh? Did you say I'm Handsome?"

"LIKE HELL I DID! Aren't you the head, Duval!? Why do you have the SLOWEST method of transport!?"

"What are you talking about?" Sanji calmed down for a second, "Isn't it obvious that the most handsome in our gang is me!?"

Sanji kicked Duval head again, "Whatever you idiot! Just concentrate on the way!"

"Yosh! Got it!"

Zoro walked out of another bar with a bottle of beer, "Ah, well, time to go back to the ship," he started walking out of Grove 22, "Grove 1, wasn't it?"

Luffy, Hachi and Pappagi were at a Slave shop. "A mermaid?" the owner said, "Nii-chan, if you're here, buy something, will ya!?"

"My friend was kidnapped!" Luffy protested, "Ossan, are you sure you don't know anyone with a mermaid?"

"Any kind of information is good!" Hachi added, "If you know something, please tell us!"

"I don't know anything, but even if I did, I wouldn't tell you guys."

Luffy grabbed the man's collar, "AND YOU'RE SURE NOBODY'S TRIED TO SELL YOU A MERMAID!?"

"N-Not a soul!"

"Stop it, Strawhat!" Hachi grabbed Luffy's shoulder, "Don't cause too much of a fuss, or you'll make the search even harder!" Luffy shoved the man away.

"If you want to look around the shop, that's okay with me."

"Alright, let's search the shop."

As they looked, the owner looked at the guy sitting on the store bench, "Oi," he whispered. The man got up and walked to the back of the store.

"Anything?" Luffy asked.

"It doesn't look like she's in this shop!" Hachi answered.

"CAIMIE~!" Pappaggi cried.

"You sure you don't have any others?" Luffy asked.

"We don't have a storage house, so what you see is what we got."

"Strawhat, let's keep moving."

"Wait up a second," the owner said, "I have one very good mermaid here, She's been the only one in stock for a couple weeks. I'll give you a nice low price, how about it?"

They looked in the tank behind him, "Buy me, little boy."

"THAT'S NOT A MERMAID AT ALL!" All three of them yelled.

They continued their search outside on the streets.

"HEY!"

"C-Caimie~!"

"CAIMIE!"

"Where are you!?"

"What's all the yelling about?" Vyse said as he, Enrique and Gilder came out of one of the bars.

"Caimie's been K-Kidnapped!" Pappaggi said as he cried.

"That's terrible!" Gilder said.

"Nyuu! This doesn't mean she's been sold yet! We just need to find out who's got her!"

"You don't have to cry," Luffy said, "I said we'll definitely find her"

"Damnit! It's all my fault, I knew the park was a top Kidnapping spot! I knew how crazy they go at the slightest hint of a mermaid! What if I never get to talk to her again!? That stupid park!"

Luffy thought back to when they were on the Ferris Wheel.

"It's been my dream ever since I was little," Caimie wiped her tears, "It's my first time I've ever been to a place this high! I'll remember it as long as I live. Thank You!"

"I'm sure it wasn't wrong of you to take her to the park," Vyse said.

"Yeah, She was really happy," Luffy added.

"It WAS wrong! Even bringing mermaids and fishmen to this island was a terrible idea from the start! But Hachi was so insistent on helping you guy out that I-"

"PAPPAGGI!" Hachi scolded, "You've said enough!"

"What's wrong?" Gilder asked.

"Why can't you enter the island?" Enrique added, "It doesn't make much sense."

"Caimie's and Hachi's enemies aren't just kidnappers, everyone living on the island is their enemy!"

"Two hundred years ago?" Aika asked as their shopping group left the area.

"Yes," Robin answered, "Until about two hundred years ago, the world was a terrible place for sea-folk. Merfolk and Fishmen were all classified as just another type of 'fish', and they were persecuted by humans, all over the world. They were universally scorned and disposed."

"But," Nami started, "The fishmen are so strong," Nami remembered the power Arlong and his crew possessed.

"No amount of physical strength could protect them from the human advantage in numbers. This went on until the World Government made an official treaty with Fishman Island."

"'Kidnapping' and 'Slave Trade' are another remnant of the frightful ways hmans once behaved."

"Though it's been largely abolished," Fina noted, "it obviously survives here on the Archipelago."

"That's why I suspect that perhaps the prejudice against fishmen and merfolk," Robin continued, "like the slave trade, still runs deep here."

"Discrimination?" Luffy asked.

"I should've warned her properly about a place like this!" Pappaggi said, "I feel like such an idiot for even coming here! That's why I should've made sure Caimie never set fin here!"

"Is that why Hachi and Caimie have to hide what they really are?" Piastol asked.

"I hope I'm just reading too much into it, bu-"

"Girlie! Robin! Blue Rouge Gals!" Franky shouted.

"Huh?" they all looked up.

"Could you please not call me 'Girlie'!?" Nami shouted.

"Get on the Flying Fish! The Mermaid-girl's been kidnapped!"

"Caimie-chan!?" Clara said.

"Kidnapped!?" Nami exclaimed.

"Caimie~!" Pappaggi continued to cry.

"I'm sorry, to both of you," Hachi said to Luffy and Vyse, "I was trying to help you out, but I just got us in even more trouble. Nyuu~."

"What are you two going on about?" Luffy asked.

"Nyuu~?"

"You guys haven't done a single thing wrong here, have you?" Vyse asked.

"All of you guys are our friends now," Luffy continued, "and we're gonna save Caimie, No Matter What It Takes! So stop crying!"

"STRAWHAT! VYSE!" Vail shouted.

"It's the Flying Fish Riders!" Hachi stated.

"Let's search together!" one of the riders said, "Hop on board!"

Vail brought the board down and jumped off, allowing Vyse to have his ride. Vail switched to his rocket boots, his arm transforming into a couple of chairs for Enrique and Guilder.

"Hachi, Are you able to jump?" Luffy asked.

"Y-Yeah!"

"Pappaggi, you're with me!" Luffy said as he stretched his arm to grab the starfish. Luffy launched another arm to grab onto one of the fish. Hachi leaped with all his might, but nearly missed his ride. "Octoface!?"

"I'm okay, Strawhat!"

"Pappaggi, We're going to go and save Caimie!"

Tears of joy ran down his face, "Strawhat."

Grove 1, Human Auction Ground.

"Hey, Peterman," one of the workers said as they arranged the slaves for the auction within the hour. "Coming now with more ware?"

"Am I too late with another entry?"

"Today's special feature is Giants. If you don't have anything better, it won't give you a good price."

"Well, take a look first," Peterman put the bag he was carrying down and opened it.

"This...This...Isn't this a mermaid!? Hey! Where did you catch her!?"

"That's a secret."

The man laughed, "I'll make her the special feature today!"

Peterman headed out, "Well, then, make sure you get a good price!"

"I'll get a fine price whether I want to or not for a beauty like this! Just drop by later and pick up your share!"

"I expect 10%!"

Meanwhile, the two Celestial Dragons from earlier were heading into the building. One of the workers threw themselves down as he welcomed them, "Oh My! Rosward-sei, Shalulia-guu! Welcome to you both!" Rosward grunted. "Ah, in the auction, if you could be so willing, I might request that you take equal standing with the commoners."

"It matters not. I have no intention to bid."

"Thank you most greatly! Please, Proceed to the VIP Seating!"

As they walked in, Shalulia noticed someone was missing, "Chalros-niisama seems to be late..."

"It's because he's fool enough to ride upon a mere human. If one wants to ride a slave, it should at least be a fishman, since they poses the strength of ten humans."

As they walked in, two of the Super Novas were watching. "Celestial Dragons. Slaves. Human Shops. Placed up against the 'purity' of these 'upper classes', why, the villains of the world look positively humane in comparison," Captain Kid went on, "It's because the world's in the hands of scum like them that it's screwed to all hell. Don't they even realize that? We may not be the nicest guys, but at least we have our charming side, right Killer?"

"Correct, Captain."

"Maybe if someone interesting shows up, we should buy 'em, eh?" Kid joked.

"Boss Kid, look over there," a Zombie looking member of his crew said, "Now, that face looks familiar. The guy from North Blue, 200 Million Bounty, Trafalgar Law."

"I've heard rumors about him, and they weren't pleasant." Law looked over his shoulder, looking at Kid, and gave him a nod of his head, inviting him to come sit next to him. "His manners aren't good either."

In the back office...

"Disco-san! You won't believe what we've got our hands on today!"

"Our special feature this time's a giant, right? I know all about that. Just leave it to me. I'll make sure it fetches a pretty penny. Is the Sakura preparation complete?"

"Not that! A mermaid! A Beautiful Young Mermaid! We could have a real bidding war on our hands over this one!"

"Is that right!?" Disco leaped out of his chair, eager to get to the back room to see the specimen.

"Stop squirming, unless you want to feel some pain!" one of the three men handling Caimie said.

"Hey, hey. Don't go destroying a ware like that."

"Disco-san."

"This is the mermaid? Truly a rare sight! It will certainly fetch a high price! Who brought it in?"

"The Hound Pets."

"Well, Peterman certainly has proven himself this time. And to think the Flying Fish Riders haven't brought in anything."

"Bleh!" Caimie said as she stuck her tounge out at her captors.

Disco looked at her for a moment before he slapped her across the face, knocking her out of the arms of the men holding her. "What was that face just now!?" His smile gone, only to be replaced by rage, "You little scum of a fish!" he was about to start kicking her in the back, before he was stopped.

"Disco-san, wait! She's valuable merchandise you're about to stomp on! You hurt IT, the value will Drop!"

"If you want to hurt her, at least do it where her cloths will hid the wounds."

Disco pushed the man off of him and spat on Caimie.

"Hacchin's going to come, and he's going to get you for this!"

"Still with the retorts, Give me the neckring! I'll do this with my own hands!" he opened the neckring up, "Hold her tight."

As he was about to close it around her neck, she screamed, "NOOO!"

He started to cackle, but before he shut the Ring, he went into shock, fainted, and fell backwards.

"Disco-san?" "What's Wrong?" "Disco-san!" the three men rushed over to their boss's side, leaving Caimie on the floor.

The Giant in his cage opened his eyes and looked down next to him, "Hey, old man...stop playing innocent already. That was your Haki, right? Who the hell are you?"

The old man chuckled, "I'm just an old man in the coating trade," he reached inside his coat and pulled out a canteen to take a drink.

-Former member of the Gold Roger Pirates: First Mate-

"And I just love, beautiful Girls!"

-The Pirate King's right hand: Silver Rayleigh-

He finished off his canteen, "Damn, all the rum is gone."


	47. Chapter 48

(Sec 74) * * * * *

At Marine Headquarters...

"'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh..." Garp said as he munched on a cracker.

"It seems that they have not realized just who he is," a Captain said, "They're planning on selling him off as just an ordinary old man."

Garp munched on another craker before he started laughing, "Selling the Dark King off at a Human Auction!"

"This is quite the situation if it's really him. My subordinates say they can't be one hundred percent certain. What should we do, Vice Admiral?" Garp handed him a cup for tea, "Ah, Thank you. Should we report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"

"Nah, I'll handle this. You say this to no one else, Sengoku included! Make sure your subordinates are clear on that as well."

"But, if it really is him..."

"Oh, it's him, no doubt about that," Garp said with a laugh.

"GAU!?"

Garp munched on another cracker, "I hear sightseeings of the guy from time to time. If you ask me, he probably lost at gambling and ended up selling himself, don't you think? He may be an old man, but if we go up against Rayleigh without the proper care, we could end up losing a lot of Marines," Garp grabed his cup of tea, "We can't handle that now, unless you want to suggest that the Marines take on Two Legends at the same time!?"

Back at the Auction House...

"Well then, everyone," one of the employees said into a microphone, "We apologize for keeping you waiting! In just a few moments, this regularly monthly event, the Grand Grove 1 Human Auction, will begin!"

"Jones, what are we doing here?" Arcane asked, the Devil Pirates taking their seats in the very back of the large room.

"Big things are going to happen today, and the events will start here at this Auction."

"And what makes you say that?" Shane questioned.

"I can feel the Haki of an old friend," Jones responded, "plus I had made plans to make this a fun day before I figured Straw Hat and Eye Patch came here, now the fun will be multiplied."

"And now, this man will be your host!" The lights turned on, creating a fabulous display, and music with a nice beat sounded off, "It's the Super Bazaar-man himself, Mister DISCO!"

"Good afternoon to you all! BOY, have we got a quality collection of slaves here for you today! You're ALL in luck! Because we've got a stunning centerpiece in store for you today! You'd better start praying that you're the one who sets to make home the slave that catches your interest!"

"I wonder what I should buy today." "There are always humans to find here." "I want to get a hold of a fishman or something, I'm hoping I'll find one here." "When I open my eyes, I see over 2000 cute girls around me."

"Slaves," Alex spat, "You already saved a few people earlier from this, why aren't we crashing this 'party'?"

"Normally Alex, I'd agree with you," Jones said, his arms crossed, "BUT, better things will happen if we wait. When the time comes, I will let you know, and that will be the time we can cause the most good, with the least amount of trouble."

"Wow, you finally got that Knowledge Fruit to work?" Adrian asked.

"Nope, just a hunch."

"Well then," Disco continued after the roar of the crowd died down, "It's time to begin!"

"Get 2 and 3 ready," one man said in the back room.

"From West Blue's Toroa, Entry #1, It's the heir to a long line of musicians, a skilled user of any number of instruments, and a Proud Pirate to boot! Give him an instrument and any BGM is ok, The Human Music Box! Give him a mop, and the floors will shine, and he can make a very nice bottle of wine, too! 192Cm tall, weighing 130kilos! His name is BYRON! Lets start the bidding at an all time low of 480,000 Beri!"

"Oh, that's a good price for such talent," a man held up his #7 plate.

"Good Sir, #7, has bid 480,000 Beri! Any body want to bid higher?"

"500,000," another man held up 82.

"520,000 Beri!" another man held up his #105 plate.

"#105 has him now, anybody!? Don't let this man slip through your fingers!"

"530,000."

"550,000."

"600,000!" #7 yelled.

"Is everyone okay with this? He's a pirate, s he'd be a great watchdog as well!" Disco walked over to the podium giving everyone one last chance to bid before he pounded the gavel, and the man's fate, "SOLD for 600,000 Beri!" Disco smiled as the slave was escorted off stage. 'We've done this for so long, we've got it down! By placing employees disguised as the rich and scattering them throughout the audience, I can get a better price then the going price!'

Back with Sanji and Duval, Duval was showing Sanji a list of Non-World Government Countries acceptable goods.

"What the hell is this?" Sanji asked, three cigarettes in his mouth, "This list is screwed up!"

"The going rates," Duval replied, "That's the minimum any normal Slave Trader will sell a slave for, and that's the lowest price anyone can give, shop or auction."

Sanji looked at the list, reading it aloud:

Male- 20,000,000 Beri Female-10,000,000 Beri

Merfolk Male- 1,000,000 Beri Merfolk Female-70,000,000 Beri

Giant Male- 50,000,000 Beri Female Giant- 10,000,000 Beri

Fishman- 1,000,000 Beri

Snakenecks, Longnecks, Longarms, Minkmen, Dwarfs- 700,000 Beri

Human- 500,000 Beri

"You can see why everyone is after mermaids, right? They're on a different level." Sanji crumpled the paper with his hands, wishing he could unleash all his rage right there on whoever kidnapped Caimie. "Of course, once bought, the owner can do whatever they like with them. Mermaids generally end up as trophies for the wealthy. She'll more then likely en up be stuffed into a tiny fishtank and put on display for the rest of her life."

"Are you TRYING to piss me off even more!?"

"Man...I don't think you can even call that 'living'..."

"If that's what you think the Hurry Up And Find Her ALREADY!"

"Duval! All Kidnappers in the 20's have been accounted for! There is no Info on any Mermaid!"

"Same here!"

"Dammit! Ditto!"

"Hurry up and surface!" Luffy said. He was now sporting a fullbody bubble to keep him from getting weak, because he was going to busts some heads pretty soon.

"It's not that easy, you know. This isn't a bird, it needs a run-up."

Back with Usopp's team, they may have found something.

"MAN, it pisses me off!" a Slave Trader said as he drank heavily from a bottle of beer, "A Giant, a Freaking GIANT! I caught the guy fast asleep, an' that's fair enough! You have ANY idea what a pain it is to get that thing from A to B!? You'd think with a catch like that, we'd get Pride of Place in the Auction, right!? BUT NOOOOoooOOOOooo! Right before the auction started, some Bastard brought in a freakin' Mermaid! You think I can handle that without a Drink!?" He started chugging it down.

"That's who we're looking for!" Usopp exclaimed.

Shortly after he and Rider 5 took flight they called their group. "This is Unit 5. Calling ALL 'Rosy-Life Riders'! Our man is Peterman! Head to Grove 1's Auction house!"

Vyse picked up his snail phone and called Aika, "Hey, head back to the ship."

"WHAT!?"

"We're going to an auction. Go back to the ship and count up how much money BOTH our crews have. Hopefully, that'll be enough to get her back and not cause a scene."

"Alright. You better get her back!"

"Not to worry. We Blue Rouges always get our catch," Vyse made a hard right, Vail close behind.

Zoro had gotten lost again, and was asking for directions. The people he thought would be kind enough turned out to be a large group of bounty hunters, swords drawn, and big smiles for everyone.

"I'm trying to get back to my ship. Which way to Grove 1?"

"I'll tell you." The Head Hunter said.

"Really? Thanks."

"You're no where NEAR the place you're heading to, Pirate-Hunter Zoro-san! That 120,000,000 Beri Head of yours is MINE!"

Zoro gave one mean look and every dropped their weapons and backed away. "Grove 1 is that way!"

"Duval, what time is the auction!?" Sanji asked.

"It started at four, and it's now...4:30."

"That's not good!" Sanji said, tears in his eyes.

"NO! There's still time. A Mermaid is sure to be the Centerpiece of the Auction. They won't bring her out until the second half! We can still make it!"

"Good, now take the shortest route by land! This thing was much faster up there!"

"Calm down, Young Master Black Leg. I'm the head of the team! When they told us the location, did I change course?"

"Huh?...No, you didn't."

"I sent my men to find out WHO, But I already knew WHERE. I've been heading to Grove 1 right from the start! And look dead ahead! There it is!"

"Seriously!? Such an incredible instinct you have!"

"Here you go, reindeer-san."

"Thanks!"

Vyse jumped off and folded his board in one swift movement. Gilder and Enrique hopped off Vail's arm, allowing him to transform it back.

"Chopper, Sanji, good to see you here."

Sanji stood there for a moment after Duval came to a stop, "WE'RE NOT FIRST AT ALL!"

After Sanji got on shore, Nami, Hachi, Pappaggi, Piastol and Clara landed.

Franky came along a few moments later and found everyone at the office door on the side of the building.

"What do you MEAN you can't give her back!?" Sanji shouted at the guards and employees, "What RIGHT do you punks have to SELL Caimie-chan!?"

"YOU'RE the ones who have no right to interfere! Keep this up and we'll be forced to take legal measures against you! You're obstructing our business."

Sanji grabbed the man by his collar, "You call this a business, asshole? NOBODY should get away with this kind of operation in this day and age!"

"HA! I hardly think an outlaw as yourself should be lecturing US on the proper way to behave!"

"This is a legal 'Taboo'!" Nami said.

"The World Government was little trouble with our business."

"So they're in on the whole thing?" Enrique questioned.

"To think the World Government is in on this," Vyse said under his breath.

"That's the reality, and there's nothing I can do about that."

"Forget this crap!" Franky said. As he walked over, he let his Left Bazook out, "We know the Meraid is in there, so lets just blow the place. WEAPONS-"

"NYUU!" Hachi said as he jumped in front of Franky's scope, "You mustn't! Celestial Dragons are inside. Even ONE gets a small pebble of rubble on them, The Marines will send an Admiral and his Fleet! And Caimie's been Collared! The neck brace she has on now is rigged to explode if she tries to escape!"

"Hey!" Both groups looked over at a friendly looking man, "My captain says there isn't anything you can do except maybe buy her back."

Nami looked up, already thinking that would be the case, "Who's your captain?"

"Jones. Says he knows you. We saved you some seats. I'm shane, by the way."

Nami started walking towards the front entrance. "Girly! Where are yo going?" Franky asked.

"This guy is right. We can't take her back, so we have to play by their rules."

As the two pirate crews walked in, Vyse's snail phone started rining, "Hello?"

"VYSE! Combined, we have 500,000,000 Beri."

"Thanks Aika. Come over to Grove 1 now."

"Is Drachma sobered up yet?" Vail asked.

"Hey! It'll take more then a few beers to get me out of a fight."

"We're not fighting if we can help it," Vyse said, "Get here asap."

As they walked in towards their seats, Kid's crew were standing against one of the walls.

"Boss, Those guys are from the Strawhat and Blue Rouge Pirates."

"I don't see the Strawhat Captain, though. I'd like to see first-hand how big an idiot he is."

"Entry #14! She's good at cooking, and she's brilliant when it comes to games! Bridge, chess, checkers, you name it, she can play it! This is best for people who have nothing to do in their free time!"

As the bidding on the 'Familiar' woman was rising from 600,000 to 1,000,000 and above, both the Blue Rouges and the Strawhats couldn't be more disgusted with this.

"Will this happen to Caimie too?" Pappaggi asked.

"NO!" Nami whispered, "All that treasure from Thriller Bark, plus what our friends have, we have 600,000,000 Beri."

"I have some money you can Borrow as well," Jones said, "But it's not gonna matter. Everything will be fine."

"NYUU~! You don't have to spend your money!"

"Hachi!" Nami scolded, "Aren't you supposed to be her guardian or something?"

"Nyu. That's not it. It's-"

"This is our friend, and we'll get her back no matter the cost!"

"Spoken like a true Blue Rouge," Vyse said with a smile.

"I love Nami-san like this!" Sanji said as he kneeled down before her as she and the others went to grab a plate.

"Shut up and come along," Franky said.

-We interrupt your story for something COMPLETELY unrelated to the current situation-

"EXTRA! EXTRA!" "The World Government can't be serious." "If they do that, that'll..."

Newspapers rained from the skies as paper boys were bubble-biking around.

"That explains a lot," Drake said to his crew, "The Marines have been awful short on hands lately, and now we know why. Fire-fist Ace, Whitebeard's second division command, has been sentenced to Public Execution!"

"Won't Whitebeard himself retaliate!?"

"The Marines are asking for WAR!"

-We now return you to your regularly scheduled story-

"Welcome back to the Grove 1 Public Auction! Now to start the second half! Entry #15! This 20-year old dancing-woman has got curves in ALL the right places, going by the name of Locks!"

"Jones," Adrian asked, "She looks familiar."

"We're 3,000 years old. People from different times can look identical."

"I mean like we hung out with her at some point."

"We don't know her, end of story, ladies man."

The woman's price quickly rose from 600,000 to over 3,000,000. "Anyone going to bid higher?" Locks looked up at crowd, lighting up the stage with a brilliant smile, almost like she wanted to be sold.

"4,000,000!"

"4,500,000!"

Locks spotted who she was looking for and started, what seemed like, mouthing the words 'Davy D. Jones'. Shane's ear's perked up. "Captain, I think she's saying your name."

"What?" Jones looked at the stage at the woman, focusing on her face, "Huh, so she is. Your point?"

"She obviously knows you and wants your help!"

"Lets face it," Adrian said, "You've been laying low since Roger passed away TWENTY years ago, and that's how old she is."

"Are you suggesting what I think you are."

"5,000,000!" Arcane said.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"I have a spell to turn gravle to gold for a couple hours. Plus, I know who she is, I'm surprised YOU don't"

Meanwhile, the remaining missing members were heading to Grove 1. Luffy, Aika, Drachma, Brook, Usopp, Robin, and Fina all wanting to save their friend before it was too late.

"Grove 2," Zoro said, "so it has to be the next one."

"WAIT FOR US, CAIMIE~!" Luffy shouted as he and the Fish Rider tore through the air, missing all the newspapers.


	48. Chapter 49

(Sec 75) * * * * *

"Entry #15! Knockout Dancer, Locks! Unlike ever before we started this bid at 80,000,000 Beri, and now the very high buy out price is 500,000,000 Beri! Her marvelous Dancing Figure is sure to impress even the heavens!" Locks started doing a belly dance, just to give a taste. Disco was surprised. No slave had ever performed. Maybe she has excepted her fate? Or perhaps she knows something?

Outside the Auction House, Celestial Dragon Charlos had finally arrived.

"From now on, we will make use of this atmosphere," Disco said, declaring Arcane the winner for that bid, "Get ready to immediately bid on the next item!"

"Alright, it hasn't ended yet," Charlos said with a smile.

"But from what I heard, they just now sold off the 15th item," his butler said. Charlos gave him a frown of disapproval. "They'll be reaching the finale soon."

"Honestly, he really gets on my nerves!" Charlos looked at his slave and started kicking his head. The poor man tried to use what energy he had left to stand. "Bastard...Bastard! You made me miss most of the auction!" Charlos threw in a little more energy into his last kick and made his slave fall, stepping on his face shortly afterwards. "Sell this stupid piece of junk, I don't need him anymore!"

"Right away, sir!"

Charlos started picking his nose, "What I'd really want is a mermaid, I wonder if they have one today."

"Merfolk are a notoriously difficult race to capture. As such, it seems rather unlikely."

An employee threw himself in a bow as he ran towards the Celestial Dragon, "AH, if it isn't Charlos-se."

"Hurry up and show me to my seat."

"Right!" As Charlos walked down the steps, everyone but the pirates in the audience looked away, not wanting any eye contact. "Please, watch your step."

"Oh, so you've finally arrived, Charlos-Niisama," his sister said.

He took his seat without a word, and they brought out the last slave before the finale. As the crowd cheered, the employees were having difficulty, "Hey, walk faster!"

"It seems our next item seems ready! #16, a fearsome Pirate Captain!"

"Captain!?" Charlos's father's eyes lit up, just what he needed to replace the one he lost earlier.

"Look Carefully! He holds a bounty of 17,000,000 Beri, by the name of Lacueva!"

"We've seen enough," Jones said as he and his group got up, "Let's go."

Arcane gave him a questioning look, "but what about those fun plans?"

"This is part of it, I'll tell you more outside."

"He is a pirate Famed for his Devious Tactics! His wonderfully honed body is his strength, Not only will he serve well as a 'Human Horse', but he'd make excellent manual labor, or act as a sandbag! This guy has MANY uses!" The crowd laughed. "Now then...!" Disco looked over at the latest entry, noticing he was struggling to stand. He fell to his knees, blood beginning to pour from his mouth. The audience started to panic. The man fell on his face, "That bastard," Disco whispered to himself, "he didn't, he wouldn't! Lower the Curtain!"

"What just happened?" Clara asked, holding Gilder's arm.

"He bit off his own tounge." Clara gasped, "Rather then be kept as a slave and lead a wretched life, he chose death."

"A wise decision," Sanji said, "Truly, there are worse things then death."

Backstage, Disco was dealing with the crisis. "No good," an employee said.

"Damnit all! We cant sell him now! We'd have to wait another month, and he'd probably be dead by then."

"Disco-san! The doctor is on his way!" another called.

"Hurry up and get the mermaid ready! We need to save the show!"

"Already done, sir!"

Aika and Drachma caught up with Luffy. "How far to this Grove 1?" Drachma asked.

"Shouldn't be far now," Luffy's driver said, "a few more minutes."

Zoro continued on his way back to Grove 1, where the Sunny-go should be. He looked up at the tree he was passing and saw it was Grove 13. "Huh, 13? Didn't I just walk by 2? Must have been 12."

"Man, that Zoro guy was scary," The Head Bounty said to two of his fellow men.

"Pirate-Hunter Zoro, with a bounty of 120 Mil Beri certainly lives up to his name."

"To clash with that man, we wouldn't have survived, no matter how many lives we have. We better pray we don't see him again."

Just as he said that, they walked by Zoro. Zoro stopped as he heard them running, just realizing they had passed the man they feared. "HEY! Wait a minute!" They froze in their tracks. "I remember you..." they turned more pale then any ghost.

"Why have you tracked us down?"

"You aren't giving me the wrong directions, are you?"

"We wouldn't dare do that kind of thing! We seriously pointed you to Grove 1!"

"Then why did you run away!?"

"Tha-That's because-!"

"ZOROOOOOO!" Luffy shouted as they flew towards him, "FASTER! Make your way to Grove 1! On second thought, hop on!" Luufy stretched his arm back just as they passed him, grabbing Zoro's collar.

"Hop...on...?" Zoro said, stugling against Luffy's pull, "No! NOT AGAI-N!" Zoro was sent flying, and as the Riders dodged the trees, Luffy's arm sent Zoro through a couple of the trees. After Luffy finally reeled hi in and laid him down behind him did Zoro speak. "I'm gonna cut you up one of these days. I swear, you HAVE to stop dragging me like that!"

"Sorry Zoro."

"Sorry about that, folks! The man got nervous and got a nosebleed and collapsed. We'll sell him at a later date. NOW, Our final item of the day should be MORE then enough to completely blast all thoughts of such minor issues out of your minds!"

Drums started rolling, fancy lights turned on, and a fog filled the stage. A large ball on wheels, covered with a white blanket, was rolled onto the stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen, feast your eyes upon the beast whom many try to capture, but few succeed. Here, is the Shadow!" Lights behind the stage lit up, reveling the shadow of a mermaid. The crowd cheered and gasped. "Ok, ok. I'll cut the talking and suspence, Look for Yourselves! Everyone feast your eyes upon," he threw the blanket off, reveling the Fish-bag like container, "CAIMIE THE MERMAID! Direct from Fishman Island!" Caimie looked around. She couldn't hear anything inside the tank, as it was completely sealed off and sound proof. 'AHH! It's Hacchin and the others! They must be here to save me!'

"It's the real thing!" Chalos said, not believeing his eyes, "They're selling a mermaid!"

"It's been so long since we've had a mermaid, so, what should the starting bid be...?"

"300,000,000 Beri!" Vyse shouted, holding up Nami's arm to display their #73 plate.

"300,000,000!?" Disco asked, "And it starts with #73 in the back!"

"700,000,000!" Charlos shouted.

Everyone's jaw dropped. A 400 million difference. The entire house was empty of sound.

"I can't go against that" "Damn, if only I had saved my money instead of buy several slaves."

"There you go again, wasting money," Charlos's father said, "Isn't your fish tank full of piranhas?"

"The chase will be most fun. Mermaids are said to be the fastest in the sea."

"If we don't think of something quick," Pappaggi said, "She'll be sold to the Tenryuubito."

Enrique pulled himself together, "I'll contribute as well," he picked up Nami's number she'd dropped, "1,000,000,000!" The auditorium filled with gasps. So much money spent on a slave? Unheard of.

"Enrique?" Vyse asked, "where are you going to get the money?"

"Emperor of Valua, remember? I have lots of money in the treasury. PLUS, all we need to do is stall long enough to ask them for the key and set her free after everyone is gone."

"Wow," Vail said, "That's just evil. Brilliant, but evil."

"I suppose my mother rubbed off on me a little bit."

"3,000,000,000 Beri!" Charlos shouted.

"3,500,000,000 Beri!" Enrique countered.

'That bastard from earlier, No WAY he has that much, not here!'

"10,000,000,000 Beri!"

Enrique smiled as he dropped his arm, "Not even 'I' have that much," he said to his friends, "I doubt he has half that"

"That's enough, we don't need to spend 10% of our money at once."

Enrique's jaw dropped. 100 Beri Billionaires? He sank to his knees in defeat.

"Isn't their anything we can do!?" Chopper asked.

"We never thought of this possibility," Sanji said, "They're just too rich."

"No higher bids then?" Disco asked, trying to keep his excitement for the large profit he was about to receive, "Them it's decided!" he pounded the gavel several times, "SOLD to Celestial Dragon Charlos!"

"It's like a metaphor for this screwed-up world," Kid said, getting off the wall, "What a complete farce. Let's get out of here."

"With that, today's auction is finished! Today's Proze goes to World Noble, Charlos-sei for 10,000,000,000 Beri! It's been-"

Luffy roared as he, Zoro and Aika flew after Drachma who had jumped off the ride towards the building. "What's that?" Kid asked.

"HAND OF FATE!"

Five minutes earlier, outside the Auction House...

"Okay, Jones, what're you planing?" Adrian asked.

"Luffy's gonna cause a ruckus, and punch a Dragon."

"WHAT!?" Shane exclaimed, "I know we're good, but do we really need to fight Marines today?"

"Such a simple mind. The Marines will be after the Super Novas, especially Luffy and his crew. THIS is our plan. While the people flee this building, Adrian, Alex, and Shane will start pick-pocketing all the people."

"I like this so far," Alex said, unable to use his slight of hand for ages.

"Afterwards, I want you all robbing the homes of the Celestial Dragons. Take everything of Value."

"OH hohoho!" Arcane laughed, "Payback for the greedy bastards?"

"NO! The next step is," Jones brought out a large machine gun looking weapon.

"What the hell!?"

"This, is the Rhino V(5). It's a machine gun, with it's ammunition being Heat-seeking Missiles. It's empty right now, but it even has it's own theme music!" Jones pulled the trigger, letting the music play. He let go after a few moments, "Now, the ones you're getting will be heavily modified to-"

"WHY ON EARTH would you take an exploding Kill Machine and make it even deadlier!?" Adrian asked.

"Deadlier? Oh no," Jones smiled, "These have been modified to be...The World's...Most Awesome...Marshmallow CANNONS!"

The crew just stared at Jones.

"You've finally lost it, haven't you?" Alex said.

"Lost what? The Marshmallows? I have bags of them right here. What I want you to do with these, is Burst the Celestial Dragon's Bubbles. These guns are powerful enough to burst bubbles, but will not hurt the person. Make sure to capture their reactions with a camera. They've never breathed normal 'commoner air'."

The crew stood in silence.

Arcane broke free after a moment, "Okay, this is probably your most screwed up plan ever...and I mean Ever."

"What about the Looper Catapult?"

"No."

"The Squid Missile?"

"You wish."

"How about-"

"Not in a million years."

"World Domination?"

"That's actually a close second."

"Do we get to eat the leftover mashmallows?" Shane asked.

"I have Chocolate and Gram Crackers back at the ship."

"Best. Plan. EVER!"

"-DECIDED!" The back wall came in as Drachma punched through.

"What's the ruckus?" The father asked, completely unphased.

"LUFFY!?" Vyse asked.

"What the HECK were you doing!? Couldn't you have made a better landing?"

"Like hell! This is a Flying Fish!"

"Why'd you smash the wall!?" Aika asked furiously.

"Aika?" Clara asked.

Drachma got up from the rubble, slightly dazed, "20 bottles of beer on the wall, 20 bottles of bee~r."

"Drachma..." Vail said, knowing he was still probably drunk.

Zoro walked towards Luffy, falling off on entry, "I hopped on because you told me to and all. But why are we in such a hurry to reach the Sunny-go?...where are we?"

"Zoro?" Chopper said

"What're you all doing here?" Zoro asked.

Law looked back and smiled at the wreckage. "That man," Kid said, "Isn't that Strawhat Luffy?"

"Caimie!" Luffy said after he snapped out of his argument with the driver. He turned around, looking at the stage, "CAIMIE!" Luffy started running down the stairs, but Hachi quickly jumped after him, using two of his available arms to stop him.

"Wait a moment Strawhat!" Luffy kept running, "What're you trying to do!?"

"Caimie's right over their! Whaddya mean what?"

"Yes, but she's wearing an exploding collar! This also includes the Celestial Dragons!"

"What do I care!? CAIMIE!"

"STOP IT THERE!" Hachi threw off his coat and used all six of his arms to grab Luffy as they passed the Celestial Dragon seating in the center of the auditorium.

"THAT-THAT'S A MERMAN!" "It's disgusting!" Hachi let go of Luffy and looked around, then he noticed his coat was twenty steps back.

"CAIMIE IS NOT A PRODUCT!" Every employee jumped on Luffy, but Luffy kept on running, tossing them off one by one.

"TAKE THIS!" one man shouted as he threw his plate at Hachi. Others started to follow and threw books, canes, and anything that wasn't too valuable or wasn't bolted down to the floor.

"Hachi!" Pappaggi said as he jumped on his shoulder, "Get out of here, or you'll be in grave danger."

"I don't care, we have to save Caimie!"

"What's going on here?" Most of the guys from both crews asked.

"Robin was right," Nami said.

"There's a lot of discrimination towards mermen and merfolk on this island," Aika explained.

A gun was fired. Luffy stumbled to a stop and looked back. Hachi collapsed and fell about thirty steps before he stopped falling. Blood dripped onto the stairs as Hachi lay there.

"Hee hee hee," Charlos chuckled to himself, now dancing in the isle.

"Ha-Hachi?" Pappaggi said as he hopped a couple steps slowly closer to his friend.

"HACHI!" Nami exclaimed.

"I'm glad that it hit him.""It would have been bad if he came near and infected us with a virus.""He must be up to something. Even if he can walk upright, he still has the mind of a fish."

"I got you! I got you! I got the Octupus~!"

Luffy started walking up the stairs slowly, his anger nearly at it's peak.

Hachi rolled over and grabbed luffy with two of his right arms, "Wait. Wait a minute..." Hachi took a few breaths, "Strawhat..." he continued to struggle breathing, "No, this is a problem I created myself...You promised me...you promised me you wouldn't touch a Dragon, even if a person was killed before your eyes." Luffy's eye twitched. "I was originally a pirate, just regard this as a retribution for all the bad things I've done. I'm sorry...I really didn't expect things would end up like this. In order to erase my sins for doing those bad things to Nami, I wanted to do something on my own for you guys. I really *cough* can't accomplish anything." Luffy took Hachi's hands and placed them back on his body, kneeling down next to him. "I'm really useless trash! Really! Just Useless Trash!"

"Hachi," Nami covered her mouth.

"Even in the end, I still couldn't do anything but bring you trouble. I'm really sorry!...REALLY SORRY!"

"You STUPID dead fish! After being shot by me, you have the gaul to still utter that list of Bullshit!? You make me angry!" Luffy turned around. "What's with that stare!?" Charlos said, recognizing Enrique and Vyse had that same stare earlier. Luffy's eyes had gone berserk, staring death into the Celestial Dragon. Luffy started walking up the steps slowly again.

"Luffy! Stop Luffy!" Pappaggi pleaded as he hopped up the stairs to stop his friend, "You won't be able to get out of this mess if you do that! Stop!" Pappaggi might as well have been speaking to a rock, Luffy kept moving forward, his anger and rage over the boiling point.

"Do you not see me?" Charlos said, aiming the gun. Luffy held his right arm back as he slowly continued forward.

"Strawhat Luffy." Law said, opening one of his eyes from the nap he was taking.

"Is he for real?" Kid said, "I didn't think he was This stupid."

"You are also pissing me off!" Charlos fired, missing Luffy. He fired again, Luffy dodged, then placed his left foot just inches away from the Dragon's before Luffy brought in the heaviest punch he's ever thrown. Faster then his Gum Gum Storm on Crocodile. Heavier then the punch he gave Enel with the Golden Ball around his wrist. Harder then the Giant Pistol he gave Rob Lucci. A punch so hard, Charlos's face sank into his own skull before he was sent five feet away, twenty feet underground.

Luffy cracked his knuckles and put his hat back on, "Sorry guys. I guess since I hit him, an Admiral from the Marines is coming along with a warship, right?"


	49. Chapter 50

(Sec 76) * * * * *

"Because you went and beat him up," Zoro said, his first sword halfway out of it's sheath, "I didn't get to slice him. And I ran into him earlier."

Gilder started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Vyse asked.

"Earlier! Remember what Enrique told that idiot? 'You Celestial Dragons had better change your ways, or terrible things will begin to happen!'"

Vyse smiled, turning to Enrique, "Heh, I guess you were right," he said.

"Hachi!" Nami shouted as her and Aika ran over.

"You guys...did something terrible..."

"It's Luffy we're talking about," Nami said with a smile, "It couldn't be helped."

"Hold still," Aika asked, "Sacrum! There, that should slow the bleeding. I'm not as good as Fina, but we should be able to get you out of here."

"It's clear what we've gotta do next, right?" Franky asked.

"We need to get Caimie's neck ring," Chopper said, "It should be backstage somewhere. I need to look at Hachi's injuries now."

Drachma had snapped out of his daze, "Hey, Boy! I thought you said we weren't going to fight."

"If we could help it," Vyse corrected, "which we couldn't."

"Father never laid a hand on him! How can someone do such a thing to big brother!?"

"How DARE you hurt my son!" the father raised his own gun and fired at Luffy several times, but he was a lousy shot.

"Nya-Ya-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!" Jones laughed.

"You got a new laugh?" Arcane asked as they walked in, "And what's with the robot costume?"

"He's angered the Celestial Dragons! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" As the crowd left in a panic, Jones and Arcane flew into the air to avoid being trampled.

"Awww, they're already leavening," Jones pouted, "and I had a WHOLE speech lined up for this. AR-CANE!"

"Right here, sir."

"Teleport us out of here."

"Right away, sir," Arcane disappeared.

"Arcane?...Arcane, this isn't funny...well if he thinks he's getting seconds on s'mores, forget it!" Jones opened up an Air Door and left.

"I shall let you know what happenes when you lay a hand on the descendants of this World's Creators!" father kept shooting, hitting the steps around Luffy, rather then Luffy himself.

"Do you think we care about that, Bastard!?" Sanji jumped over and kicked the gun out of his hands.

"How dare you attack Saint Rosward!?" the guards said as the ran in to protect the World Nobel.

"Back up," Vyse said, "They're SAINTS now!?"

Sanji quickly back flipped towards the two guards, "JOUE! CONCASSE! Franky, go free Caimie!"

"Pirates of Old," Vyse said as an army of Guards and enraged employees started charging them, "Defend our Cause!"

The Pirate Skull Captain appeared, "In over your head again, are we?"

"No," Vyse replied, "But a little extra help wouldn't hurt."

The captain chuckled, "Very well."

Backstage, all the guards left the slaves in their cells.

"Well then," Reyleigh said, "I'm thirsty and out of rum, time to leave."

"Gramps?" The giant asked.

"Who do you think you are, Protecting a mere fish!?"

"GUM GUM...WHIP!"

Zoro sliced through several enemies, along with Vyse and Enrique, until a large group tried to tackle the three of them.

"Three Sword Style: TORNADO!"

"Rain of Swords!"

"JUDGMENT!"

The enemies went flying, imprinting the walls with their bodies.

Vail and Franky were running towards the stage, tossing off anybody that tackled them. Franky turned towards a small group behind them, "Strong RIGHT! Fresh Fire!"

Vail focused on the enemies ahead, switching his arm into a large cannon, "I forgot the ammunition...oh well," He held his arm in front of him and charged, running into a group of seven and then slamming them into a wall.

"Get away from me!" Nami sheiked as she ran away, until she 'tripped' on the stairs, rolling down until she ducked into one of the bench sections. As the guards looked to see if they could still get her, "Beware of Thunderclouds," Lightning rained down on the two armored guards, "THUNDERBOLT TEMPO!"

"TAKE THAT!" Drachma said as he spun one guy up in the air and then threw him into another large group, "STRIKE!"

"Come on," Gilder said as he brought out a second pistol, "Dance for me!" Gilder went Trigger Happy.

"Tough Love!" Clara shouted as she body slammed into a group of guards.

"OMEGA CYCLONE!"

Rosward looked at the chaos around him. Sanji was kicking through the armor, Zoro had switched to fighting with only his Black Blade, Franky was using his machine gun, while Vail switched to a morning star, his fist being the ball. When everyone had finished with their guards, the all gave a mean look to the Celestial Dragon. "So, you people intend to defy us until the very end!?"

"GUM GUM AXE!"

"PIRATE'S WRATH!"

"CAIMIE ISN'T FOR SALE!" both captains said at once.

"Call an Admiral and a warship here!" He picked up his butler, "Show them what they're up against!"

"Go faster!" Usopp demanded, knowing he was late. He reached for the gas and made the fish go full speed, but wasn't prepared and fell off "What a beautiful sky today," Usopp said, trying to get into a happy place before he fell to his death below, "...AHHHHHHH!"

Robin sprouted arms into a long rope and grabbed Usopp and placed him back on his ride, "Don't go too fast now."

"We'll meet you up ahead," Brook said as he sipped some tea.

"Wait for me!" Usopp yelled as Fina passed him as well.

"The pirates attacked a Celestial Dragon!" "A warship from Marine HQ is gonna come here!"

As the crowds flooded out of the building, Reyleigh walked u the stairs past the crowd. "This is no good! I should have just paid for my slave and left!" the man bumped into the retired pirate, "Watch where you're going!"

"It would be a waste to buy humans," Reyleigh said after the man left. He tossed his new bag of money lightly, "I think I'll put this to better use."

Back in the Auditorium, both crews were still fighting, Kid's and Law's crews just enjoying the show. "There's no end to these guys!" Luffy shouted

"You said it," Vyse agreed.

Several guards tried jumping them at once. "DUCK! 36 Pound CANNON!" Zoro threw the slice of his Black Blade, just barely missing the two captains.

"YOU TRYING TO KILL US!?"

"I warned you, didn't I?"

Zoro's cut had also taken the top part of Caimie's glass cage apart, so now she could hear again.

"Caimie!" Hachi called.

"HACCHIN!"

"Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I'm fine! But what about you!?"

"Pah! Zoro gave me worse wounds then this, I'll be fine! Who do you think I am?"

"Just like the rumors said," Killer said.

"Yeah," Kid agreed, "He's one crazy guy. And so is this Vyse character."

"Monkey D. Luffy," Law said to himself, "A bounty of 300 million, eh?"

"Seems like there's already a commotion down there," Robin observed as they got closer, "People are flooding out the exits."

"In any case," Brook said, "we have to crash down there. Let's charge in NOW!"

As the Riders dove down, Usopp held his stomach, "I have the 'I-can't-go-to-the-Auction-Hall'-sickness..."

Robin's brought the roof in first, "Thanks for the lift!"

"Be Careful!"

"MOONS! Cleanse the Lands! LUNAR WIND!" Cupil made an even larger hole in the roof.

Brook jumped off his ride and almost landed gracefully on one of the benches, but slipped. "I heard my waist snap," Brook said as he proped himself up with his cane.

"Brook!" Chopper said holding a bottle of milk.

"Yoho! Milk, does my body good," Brook took the bottle and drank deeply. His bones started to shine, "OH, Chopper, what kind of milk was that?"

"Jones left it on our ship, I think the note said it was magical Romania Milk."

"Damn Pirate!" Brook sped over and quickly slice up the guard.

"Such speed, such power! That was some good milk!"

"Clutch! Clutch! Clutch!"

"Protect the Mermaid!" Disco ordered, "She's worth 10 BILLION! And we're going to get that money!"

"HAHAHA! I've kept you waiting, ladies and gentlemen!" Usopp said proudly on top of the roof, standing by one of the holes, "Now that I, The great Usopp-sama have arrived, you need not be afraid! It's a given that the hero always shows up at the last moment!" The smoke cleared from the hole, "Gah! So High! Maybe I should wait a little longer?"

"Get in already!" Rider 5 ordered as his fish shoved him in. Usopp fell like a rock and landed right on top of Rosward as he was yelling out the sentence he wished the Strawhats and Blue Rouges to be served. Not only was his bubble broken and his sunglasses shattered, but the force was enough to knock him out as well.

"FATHER!"

"Huh?" Usopp sat up, "That didn't hurt much," he looked down and jumped to his feet, "AH! Sorry old man!" Usopp bowed.

"Fina!" Vyse and Aika exclaimed.

"Robin, Brook, Usopp!" Luffy said.

"Where's Caimie?" Usopp asked.

"There! We need the key to her exploding Neck Brace!"

"If we don't hurry," Vyse started, "a warship and an admiral will arrive!"

"The Navy is already here, Strawhat, Eyepatch." Law said calmly.

"What's with you," Luffy asked, "and that bear?"

"They've had this place surrounded since before the auction started. There IS a HQ outpost on the archipelago."

"Please leave in an orderly fashion! The Marines are here to protect you!"

"How're things inside?"

"All the guests seem to have evacuated, but there are still three Celestial Dragons inside!"

"Not sure who they were after," Law continued, "But there was no way they'd have known a Celestial Dragon was going to get beaten up, right?" Law laughed, "You've shown me something interesting..."

"Trafalgar Law, right?" Robin asked, keeping her arms crossed.

"Luffy," Vyse said, "He's one of the Super Novas, like us."

"The bear too?"

"And over their," Robin continued, "Eustass Kid."

"Another Super Nova," Vyse stated, "The one with a higher bounty then Luffy's."

"Unforgivable!" the last Dragon said. While everyone was talking, she got a ladder and a gun and had Caimie hostage, "Now that it's come to this, I'll just kill the mermaid they came to save!"

"Please...please wait, Princess Shaelia!" Disco pleaded.

"Be quiet, inferior human!" she turned and fired at Disco, making him fall backwards from fear.

"Now, fish, I shall finish you off for good this time!" Everyone in the Strawhat's and Blue Rouge's crews turned all their firepower towards Shaelia, ready to fire if she did anything. Suddenly, some sort of wave came through the room. Shaelia fell unconsious and hit the floor. A few seconds later, the Giant from the back room started tearing the wall down, making a way for himself and the old man in front of him.

"Look at that, Giant-kun. The hall is a complete mess. Seems like the auction is over. Seeing as how I now have money, I'll be returning to the gambling house."

"What a foul old man you are...You came here just to steal money?"

"I was going to steal from whoever bought me as well, but I guess that won't happen today," he went to drink his canteen, "Oh right, the rum is gone."

"Why is the rum gone!?" Jones said, taking a seat in the front row. He tossed a bottle of sake to the old man, "Long time no see."

The old man started laughing and then realised the situation, "I guess i drew some unwanted attention."

"Reyleigh!" Hachi said.

"The ship coater!?" Chopper an Pappaggi said.

"Jones AND Hachi!? It's been a while, some longer then others! Hachi...where did you get that wound? Ah, you don't have to tell me," he stroked his beard while he looked around the place. He saw three knocked out Celestial Dragons, a wreck of a hall, countless employees and guards beaten up, a chained mermaid, and 4 pirate crews. "I see. I've figured out what happened. You've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble, haven't you, Hachi? Jones was the cause of it, wasn't he!?"

"HEY! I had almost nothing to do with this event! All I did was steal from every person who exited the building."

"So, were you the ones who saved him?" Reyleigh asked, turning to Vyse and Luffy, "Well then..." another strange wave flooded the room, knocking out any enemy they two crews were fighting.

"This guy..." Kid started saying.

"No way!" Law was startled.

Reyleigh looked up, "That straw hat of yours...It really fits a fearless man like yourself. And your eye patch, it speaks well of your courage. Monkey D. Luffy! Dyne D. Vyse! I've wanted to meet you both!"


	50. Chapter 51

(Sec 77) * * * * *

The entire Archipelago was in a panic as Pirates and thieves scrambled to what they considered safety.

"Something terrible has happened!"

"This whole town is in trouble...no! This entire archipelago is in trouble!"

"Starw Hat Luffy beat up a Celestial Dragon! In Grove 1's Auction House!"

"What!"

"It seems like Kid and Law are in there, too!"

"How could Straw Hat DO something like this!"

"Doesn't he know that a Marine Admiral will come here with a Warship if he hurts the Celestial Dragons!"

"How's the ship coming," Capone asked his men as they calmly, but quickly walked towards their ship.

"It was finished yesterday," one of them answered.

"We're setting off for Fishman Island right now," he commanded, "Do you really think I'd stick around when an Admiral is on the way?"

"Understood!" They all echoed.

"Captain," said one of Bonnie's men, "let's get going!"

"We've been here for too long."

Bonnie picked up another chicken leg and munched as she spoke, "The captain of that moron's crew is an even BIGGER moron!" She recalled just a couple hours earlier of her encounter with Zoro, "If I EVER come across those guys in the new world, I'll CRUSH them!" She flipped her table over as she yelled with her mouth full.

The Monk was squatting on the edge of a roof watching the chaos below on the streets. 'To think that they'd cause an uproar so close to Marine HQ, right before they reach the New World...What a troublesome crew.'

"Prepare to set sail," X Drake commanded.

"Right away captain!"

'Now who's going to show up?' Drake thought to himself.

Apoo sat and watched as countless people ran in fear, "With the situation as it is, they're not gonna hunt us all down, right? They're only after 'Straw Hat' Luffy, right? I think I'd like to take a look at this Admiral guy."

"You can't mean that, Apoo-san!" his crewmate protested, "Don't say stuff like that; let's run!"

"Captain Hawkins, it's dangerous to stick around here! Let's hurry up and set sail!"

"Calm down," Hawkins' said calmly as he stared at a card as they walked, "I do not see death coming today."

At the Holy Land, Sengoku was holding himself up with the aid of the nearby table, "That brat again? It's just one thing after another...What is WITH that family!"

"According to our information, It's not just the Straw Hat crew, but Kid and his crew as well as Law and his crew. In all, 16 Bounty-heads have been seen, 7 of them are Rookies with bounties over 100 million. Of course, we're going after Luffy, who intentionally hurt a Celestial Dragon. We can't get contact with anyone from the Human Shop, er, I mean...'Employment Stability Office', so they've probably all been beaten. Anyway, taking 3 Dragons as hostages is an unprecedented act of hostility."

"Do they have any demands?" Sengoku asked.

"No, they haven't made any yet."

Admiral Kizaru took a sip of his tea before commenting, "Well, in any case, they did hurt on of the World Nobles, so there's no way we wouldn't take action, right, Sengoku-san?"

"Kizaru?" Sengoku asked as he turned around.

"I guess I'll go...I'll be back in a flash," He stood up, "Do not worry..." he drifted off as he walked out of the room.

Back at the Auction House, Laughter could be heard in Disco's Office, but Disco wasn't laughing as he yelled into his Snail Phone. "This is NOTHING to laugh at, is it! This is your shop, right, Mr. Doflamingo! Where are you right now? Nobody's gonna trust this store anymore after what happened to Rosward's family! I'm sure he's gonna run us out of Business! Can't you help us!"

The snail finished chuckling a little, "Hey, you...Human Trade is old news already, idiot!" Disco gasped. "This is the age of Smiles, you see? Look at the Snail and Smile! Disco, just keep that store of yours, and don't contact me again."

"WHAT! In this terrible situation, you're just abandoning us!"

"SCILENCE!" The snail frowned with an angry look on it's face, "You're such a pain. While you're sitting there blaming me for your own misfortune, The New Age grows even closer, Disco-kun," The snail resumed his smiling, "I'm...no...WE are currently being called in by the Marine for a Mandatory Gathering."

Doflamingo took a sip from his drink before continuing, "How's the future sound to you, Disco-kun?" he set his drink down before looking at the stunned look on his snail phone, "The White Beard Pirates VS The Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

"Please, get away as far as you can from this building!" Marines ordered as the surrounded the Auction House, "No onlookers, please! These people are dangerous!"

"But the slave I bought is in there!" one complained.

Marines surrounded the building, aiming every gun they had towards the entrances. "Have the Mortar Cannons arrived yet?" asked a captain.

"Yes," the soldier saluted, "Most of them. We're quickly trying to get them ready."

"Anything from HQ?"

"Admiral Kizaru is on his way, but the troops are coming first."

The captain nearly gasped, "THOSE GUYS are coming in first!"

"Yes, sir! It certainly seems that way."

The captain's mouth hung open in fear.

Back inside the Auction Hall, the 4 Pirate Crews stared as Reyleigh held his and a couple inches away from Caimie's Collar. "I'm going to remove this now, is that alright with you?" he asked calmly.

"GRAMPS!" Pappaggi shouted, "Don't do anything reckless! It's gonna explode!"

"We've already seen what it's like when a slave's collar explodes!" Chopper yelled.

"That was horrible! Absolutely horrible! Brook chipped in.

"Is that really okay, Luffy?" Vyse asked his friend.

"WAIT," Usopp reasoned, "Franky is looking for the keys now, isn't he? We should just wait until he finds them!"

"That's right," Pappaggi agreed, "Please stop him, you two," he pleaded to the two captains.

Backstage, Franky was tearing up every locker and cabinet he could find in search for the keys. "DAMNNIT, Not here either!" he left the room and ran down a hall to search for a room he hadn't cleared out yet.

Reyleigh placed his hand on Caimie's shoulder, "It's alright, just stay still."

Zoro stared as he spoke to himself, "I don't understand what kind of power he used" Zoro looked around to see all there enemies taken out, "but I can definitely see that's not your average old man."

"So it's okay to leave Caimie in his care?" Sanji protested, "What's Franky doing! STOP! If we don't have the key, we can't get it off!"

Reyleigh ignored Sanji and just tapped the collar lightly, starting the ticker. Everyone of the Straw Hats and Blue Rouges jumped forward a little as they stared, unable to stop what was happening now.

"STOP! Please Stop It!" Pappaggi pleaded as he shook his head. Reyleigh kept one finger on the collar as it started ticking faster. "CAIMIE!"

An explosion erupted.

Franky burst through one of the furthest walls in the back as he ran as fast as he could towards the stage, "Wait for me! I'm got them!" Another explosion, but this wasn't Franky this time as he was now stopped in his tracks at the sound. "WHAT!" Franky quickly made it to the stage. As he ran through the smoke, "H-hey! What just happened!"

"I can't say it!" Pappaggi cried as he held his eyes shut, "Caimie...CAIMIE HAS BEEN..." he opened his eyes and saw the smoke clear to see his friend was alright.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Franky yelled as he walked towards Reyleigh, twirling the key ring on one of his fingers, "Scaring me shitless! She doesn't have a collar or chain anymore?"

"CAIMIE!" Pappaggi jumped the stairs as he ran towards his friend. He jumped and gave her a tear filled hug, "Caimie! Thank goodness!"

"Hmph!" Franky pouted as he held up the keys, "What the Hell? LOOK! I finally found them and all."

"Oh, you found them?" Reyleigh sounded slightly surprised, "quite impressive. But that's alright. Could you please carry this young girl out of here?"

"Uh...um...Th-Thank you" Caimie stutered, still a little shaken of the recent events.

"What the Hell! What's going on?Who is this guy!"

"What DID he do?" Usopp asked, "That old guy just did something Mysterious again!"

Outside, Jones' crew were having some fun with the Marshmallow cannons, popping World Nobles' Bubbles left and right. Adrian got point blank and aimed for one man's forehead, before tilting it slightly left so as to have it whiz by his ear. The Nobleman grabbed his own throat as he gasped for air, eventually falling to his knees as he coughed and hacked. Adrian looked at him a little confused until the man actually took a deep breath, "*sniff sniff*...The air...it isn't toxic?" he got up, grabbing Adrian by his collar, "How DARE you pop my bubble! My eyeballs could've been sucked from their sockets!" He grabbed another sizable bubble and put it over his head before bringing out a gun. Before he could fire, Adrian just used the cannon to smack him across the face, popping his second bubble.

"Dumbass," he commented before continuing to add to the chaos.

"Hey, slaves!" Franky shouted as he walked towards them, "Your buyers ran away, you should run for it while you can. Here's the keys." He tossed them over so it landed at their feet. They all cheered for happiness while Locks took the keys and undid her cuffs first before helping the others.

Usopp looked around, "That old man defeated all these guys somehow. Then he must have used magic, sorcery, or a devil fruit power of some kind, right?" Reyleigh jumped off the stage as he walked towards Luffy and Vyse, "He also said something about you two. Do you guys know him?"

"I don't know him," Luffy answered.

"I haven't been with you guys long enough to know all your allies," Vyse stated.

"That ability was probably his 'Willpower'," Hachi explained weakly, "Though I don't really understand it myself..."

"Hey," Jones called out, "I'm going to go round up my crew and distract the marines for a bit, ok Reyleigh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Reyleigh replied before turning to the other two crews that were ther, "Sorry. You were just here to watch, right? Judging from how you handled the situation earlier, you aren't exactly pushovers, are you?"

"Who's have thought we' run into such a big shot here?" Kid asked, more to himself then his crew.

"That's the 'Dark King'," Killer explained, "Silvers Reyleigh, no doubt about it."

"What's that Legendary man doing here?"

"I prefer to be called 'The Old Coater' Ray-san around here. Please reframe from calling me by 'that' name, as I'm an old man now. I'd like to live peacefully." Reyleigh kneeled next to Hachi, "you're not gonna die, right, Hachi? I always told you that you shouldn't walk around on this island..."

"Nyuu, Sorry..."

"Thanks a lot, you guys," Reyleigh turned towards Luffy and Vyse, "You helped my friend out."

"So pops," Luffy started, "Why did you want to meet me?"

"Or me?" Vyse added.

"Lets save that for later," Reyleigh answered, "first, we'll need to get out of here."

"Seems like they have us completely surrounded outside, chief," one of Kid's men said.

"Criminals inside! Please release the Rosward Family! An Admiral will be here shortly! It'd be better if you surrendered now! You don't know what will happen otherwise, Rookies!"

"Who you calling 'Rookie'?" Jones shouted as he and his crew appeared on top ot the Auction House.

"Who are you!" The captain asked.

"We," Jones struck a pose, "Are the Spanish Inquisition!"

"Because NO ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition!" Shane called out.

"And we all were Pointy Red Hats!" Alex shouted as Jones put a hat on every crew Member before the three of them shouted, "HAZZAH!"

"So they're not just dragging us into this," Law stated, "but they're treating us as if we were Straw Hat's Accomplices, too."

"I see that 'Straw Hat' Luffy is every bit as crazy as the rumors said," Kid told himslef, "And I got a nice look at this Vyse character as well." Kid got off the wall he had been leaning on the whole time, "Not to complain, but I ain't gonna stick around for an Admiral to show up to clash with him."

"Yes," Reyleigh agreed, "I can't use my Haki anymore, so I'll be counting on you. It would be troublesome if the Marines found out who I really was."

"I have no intention of being saved by an old man," Kid stated, "And the longer we stay, the more soldiers will come. I'll be going on ahead," He turned and left his crew behind as he headed for the front entrance, "As an extra Favor, I'll save you guys," Luffy, Law and Vyse all turned towards Kid with a scowl on their faces, "I'll take care of the cleaning outside, so just sit back and relax!"

"Like I said, I won't let you hog all the Fun," Law stated.

"Shut up," Kid retorted, "I said I'll do this myself!"

"Stop bickering already," Vyse commanded.

"Shut up! Just shut up, all three of you!"

"Really?" Luffy asked with a slightly angered tone, "you're so noisy."

"That's our que, men," Jones said, "shall I call the ship?"

"We still have our 'slave' inside," Arcane stated.

"We don't need a slave, she'll be fine."

Alex grabbed Jones and tossed him inside through the roof, "Sorry, Arcane told me too."

"But I'M the Captain!"

"Of pirates," Alex stated, "I'm a Knight. COMPLETELY different," he chuckled as he and the rest of them followed Arcane inside.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Kid shouted, "Like I said, I'll do it!"

"No! I'll do it!" Luffy yelled.

"Don't order me around," Law said cooly.

"You don't get it, do you?" Kid said rather annoyed.

"You're the one who doesn't get it," Vyse stated, his Vlorik Blade drawn.

"YOSH!" Luffy said as he cracked his knuckles, "You guys, stand back!"

"Is anyone listening to me?" Kid asked, "I said you three should stay away."

"Try to give me another order and I'll take you out First, Kid!"

"Just forget it," Vyse said, "We're all fighting now, so just pick a group and stay out of each other's way."

"All of them are Captains," the Marine Captain stated, "They all Came out at once. Monkey D. Luffy, worth 300 Million!"

"I'll Go!"

"Eustass 'Captain' Kid, worth 315 Million!"

"Leave it to me!"

"Trafalgar Law, worth 200 Million!"

"Try it if you want to get hurt."

"Dyne D. Vyse, worth 280 Million!"

"Can we just stop arguing already? Giving me a headache."

"They all have Bounties easily exceeding 100 Million!"

"Man," Nami sounded annoyed, "Those guys are so simple minded!"

"Hey!" Usopp stated, "They're gonna cause a HUGE uproar!"

"I say we run for it while we can," Guilder suggested, "that WAS the point of them going off, you know?"

Franky was holding Caimie and Pappagi as he walked up the Stairs. "Hachi," Caimie started, "Thank you. This is all my fault. I'm Sorry!"

"Nyuu, as long as you're safe, that's enough for me."

Reyleigh was about to pick up Hachi when Vail stopped him, "It's alright, Ossan, you've done plenty. I'll carry him."

"Alright," Reyleigh stated, "If we get separated while breaking through the lines, meet back at Grove 13."

"13, huh?" Zoro said, "Right, I got it."

"You DEFINITELY didn't get it!" Usopp yelled.

Reyleigh turned towards the would-be slaves, "What about you, Giant-kun?"

"I'll escape together with these slaves." The slaves cheered, except for Locks, who had vanished.

"I see. Be careful not to stand out!"

"Old Man! Straw Hats! Blue Rouges! If we meet again someday, I'll definitely return the favor!" The other slaves shouted their thanks as well.

"Fire the Mortars!"

"GUM GUM...BALLOON!" Luffy bounced the three cannon balls back towards the ones that fired at him, destroying them with their own blast.

Another cannon ball was headed straight for Kid, who held up his hand, the ball stopping just a couple inches away, "REPEL!" The ball went straight back.

"Room," Law said, holding up his left hand, a dome surrounding him and one other Marine man.

"What's up with this?"

Law took out his blade and waved it through the air, decapitating the man as his head flew towards him. "Shambles!" he moved the cannon ball that had entered his sphere and blew up the Marine man, whose head was being tossed up and down in Law's hand like a ball.

"HE KILLED ME! Wait...WHAT!"

"Let me unleash the Full Power of these Blades! HEAVEN SPLITTER!" Vyse threw his slice towards the ground, causing it to shift and topple the Marines and their cannons over.

"Careful!" The Marine Captain commanded, "Three of them are Devil Fruit Users! Our main priority is to save the Hostages! Concentrate the troops in this area! That goes for the cannons as well! Ready to fire!"

"WAIT!" pleaded the head of the Marine man, "Please Wait!"

Kid put his hands in front of Law and Luffy, "Keep your Hands out of this, you three!"

"Didn't I tell you?" Law said annoyed, "If you tried to order me around-"

"LEAVE IT TO ME!" Luffy said as he ran ahead, Vyse right behind him.

"FIRE! Shoot him!" all the cannons fired.

"GUM GUM..." Luffy weaved his fingers together, "NET!" He caught all the balls.

"He stretched?" the other two captains asked.

Luffy spun around and around, trying to contain all the cannon balls, allowing Vyse to attack, "RAIN OF SWORDS!" with a slice through the air, he electrified all the metal ahead of him.

Luffy continued to spin, eventually losing one of the balls as it flew towards his rival captains, who were quick to dodge.

"What are you doing!" Kid yelled angerly.

"I thought I was gonna die," the Marine Head said as he landed back in Law's hand.

Luffy looked at them as he continued to spin, his neck twisting around as he spoke, "heh heh, sorry!"

"Straw Hat, you really are insane!" Kid shouted.

"You guys don't know the half of it," Vyse said as he made a tactical retreat behind and away from Luffy.

"Start with Luffy!" The Marine Captain commanded, "CHARGE!"

Luffy saw his opportunity and had his head spin back into place before he let all the explosives go to fly back towards the marines, who quickly retreated as to not get blown to bits.

More cannons fired and Luffy started dodging. Vyse crossed his blades, "Moons, give me Strength...PYRULEN!" an explosive fireball erupted in the center of the cannon lineup.

"GET THEM!" As more men charged, Luffy regained his balance.

"GUM GUM...WHIP!" Taking out another dozen or so soldiers.

"Don't hesitate, FIRE!"

As explosions went around Luffy, the force of the blasts knocked his hat away. "OH CRAP!" Luffy jumped and stretched out his arm, catching his hat before it touched the ground. He brought his body to his hand, "That was close," he stated, putting his hat back on.

"CHARGE!" More marine came in.

"That's getting annoying," Vyse stated. He looked at the weapons on the ground as they started to move. The weapons then flew through the air towards Kid.

"What the...?" Luffy said as he looked up, still laying on the ground.

"Towards himself?" Vyse asked, "he want to die?"

"REPEL!" The guns and swords flew back through the air. Vyse quickly jumped upwards to get out of the way. Guns started firing as well, causing the Marines to retreat even further.

"Impossible," The captain said to himself, "Are these guys really rookies?"

"Not really," Vyse said, landing behind the Marine Captain, "I've been in the Pirate business for a while now, just not in this world," he jabbed the hilt in the back of the captain before returning to the middle with the other pirates.

"Isn't Admiral Kizaru here yet!" the captain asked loudly when he got his second wind.

"Yes! I think he should be here soon, but reinforcements from the nearest outpost just arrived."

"Wait!" the disembodied head cried as Law continued to toss him up and down, "What's going on! Save me!"

"Good Grief," Law said, ignoring his new toy, "There are even more then I thought."

"You guys have some weird powers," Luffy said as he joined the other three captains back in front of the building.

"Yours is the strangest of all," Kid stated.

"Really?" Luffy asked as he turned around, placing a hand on his hat.

"I hardly think that matters now," Vyse said as he got into a battle stance, "We've got more guys to take out now."


End file.
